Twisted Fantasy
by Revir
Summary: AN FF8 story with several twists. Basically, how the story could develop if most of the main, and many not so main, characters were of the opposite gender. FINALLY, Chapter 39 is loaded up and ready to read XD. Hope you kept the pillow, it's not as long but not by much...
1. Chapter 1: The Beggining

_Hello there, Final Fantasy fans. This is my first FF8 fiction, so all I can say is that, I hope you like it and enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. _

_And without any further a due, here it is._

**Disclaimer**_I do not own the original plot of Final Fantasy, but most of what is gonna happen here it's of my doing… don't hit me._

**Twisted Fantasy**

By Revir

**Chapter 1: The beginning**

"Settle down, we'll be staring class in a few minutes."

The noise died down a bit as the large group of youngsters, none over the age of twelve started to gather around the tall man.

The instructor was indeed a very tall man with broad shoulders, tanned skin and a heavily muscled torso. His bare head shone with the reflection of the sun as he caressed his well developed beard with his right hand.

He nodded his approval as he observed the children stand in attention, all but three. He narrowed his eyes at the group that remained seated, completely relaxed beneath a nearby tree.

_Always those three…_ He thought shaking his head slightly at the youngsters. At that moment, the taller boy with dark skin laughed out loud at something the slightly shorter blond haired boy had said all the while the albino girl's face remained emotionless only nodding a bit.

"You three, stand in line, we're starting class!" He growled at them, the whispers that had started a few seconds ago in the already lined up children stopping immediately.

The blond boy smirked as he got up from his very comfortable position and started to walk lazily towards the rest, with a smug expression and the other two loyally followed. Just before joining the group, he stopped and signalled to his companions to something behind the instructor, smirking wider.

A murmur started to rise again as the children realised what was going on and, noticing their attention focused elsewhere, Instructor Mark Brandt turned around and followed everyone's gaze to the object of the disturbance.

A kid, around the age of the rest of them, was currently descending a flight of stairs and heading towards them. The child's brown hair was long and unruly and even though it was tied up in a high ponytail it still covered its owner's face almost completely. Also the clothes seemed a few sizes too big, the long sleeved grey shirt reaching bellow the waist as the black baggy shorts reached almost to the black ankle boots.

The girl approached the tall man handing him a folded piece of paper. He read it then nodded something at her which the remaining children were too far away to hear, then turned to face the class.

"Ok, kids. This is our new addition to the class. Now, prepare your weapons, we're having match ups today!"

As everyone gathered in groups of two and prepared their weapons, the girl who was carrying a relatively large weapon case, placed it in the ground opening it and removing its content. The groups didn't take much time to organize, usually everyone practiced with the same opponent. And it was right about then that everyone stopped, including instructor Brandt.

All eyes turned to the blonde boy who was smirking like crazy. Seifer was never the social "buddy" type and though he was always seen walking around with Fujin and Raijin since he was around ten that was about it. Even in classes when they made groups he was always with them, and since the class had an odd number, from the early days he had teamed up with them, sparring each other in turns. In the beginning he did fight with some of the other kids but not only was he very strong and usually defeated them in a strike or two, he also liked to tease and often humiliate the "losers" and thus shoving people away. He was quickly considered the best cadet… and the biggest ass…

So imagine the shock in everyone once they realised that, if left be as it was, the new girl in Combat 101 would have to face Seifer.

One of the boys had a conscious expression and started to move forward. Immediately someone grabbed his arm, halting him.

"What are you doing Nida?" whispered his practice partner.

"We can't let them fight each other!" the tall boy said, shaking his friend's arm from his with a stern look on his face. "He'll hurt her! He never showed any mercy towards his opponents before and even though he never faced a girl, I doubt he'll take it any easier on her considering she's new!"

"He won't take it easy on you either, remember last time?"

"But…"

"I guess you're with me."

Nida, along with everyone else looked back as Seifer approached the girl, sizing her up. She stood up, holding what seemed to be a Garden training gunblade. Seifer's smirk grew as he noted her choice of weapon.

_Same as mine. This is gonna be entertaining._

She raised her head slightly so that only Seifer could see her face and her eyes.

Sea green locked on stormy blue.

Shaking his head, Instructor Brandt said a silent prayer for the girl and vowed to stop the fight when it got too dangerous as he turned to the stunned youngsters.

"You may begin!" he half shouted.

Half the crowd jumped in surprise but they readied themselves for their work out.

Only two figures didn't move, eyes still locked in each other's. Seifer tilted his head, his smirk never leaving his features.

"Show me what you've got, Leonhart!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The dark stormy sky brightened with a flash of lightning as thunder echoed throughout the area. Something else sparkled with the reflected light and that something was getting closer, falling…

A customized gunblade stabbed itself in the hard rocky ground after its flight, and once more glittered in the light of the heavy storm from up above.

A hand shot out of nowhere and grasped the hilt of the revolver. Its thumb ring shone with the lightning as the hand effortlessly removed the blade from the ground. The figure rounded the previous resting place of the weapon, rolling it in its hand and stood there ready to attack.

She wore high heel black leather boots that reached just below her knees with several black leather straps zipped at the back. on her waist, she wore a black leather low-waist mini-skirt opened on the sides with a set of two dark red leather belts. On her chest, she had a white low-cut top under a black leather jacket, a bit shorter than normal jackets, with a few leather straps and a fur-lined collar. Her hands were covered by thumb-less black leather gloves and her visible fingernails were painted black. Around her neck she wore a loose choker with a pendant in the shape of a lion's head, the same symbol adorning her ring and weapon.

Her head tilted to the side, the long locks of her unruly brown hair just barely covering her deep stormy blue eyes as she gazed upon her opponent, standing right in front of her.

Before her was a young man with short blond hair wearing a long light-grey trenchcoat with a red cross like symbol on the sleeves and a blue and white vest underneath it, dark grey pants and black boots. He wore a neck tight chain choker with tags and his head was also slightly tilted to the side. A smirk adorned his faceas his eyes also looked straight at her.

Sea green locked on stormy blue.

He taunted her, she charged.

He easily deflected her attack swinging at her, which she parried. And so their dance began. One's speed was matched by the other and although the boy was stronger she was more agile. Attacks were made, parried, deflected, evaded none able to gain the upper hand over the other and still none of them backed out.

The blonde's smirk had vanished a few seconds into the confrontation as his inability to land a blow was starting to make him sloppy. Taking advantage of this, the girl raged against him, pushing him back. He could do nothing but defend, which got him more on edge. He risked it all by pushing her after a successful block making her step back a bit. She twirled the blade in her hand and readied another charge. But he anticipated her actions and launched a fire spell in her direction. Caught off guard, she could only bring her gunblade up to soften the blow.

The fire attack sent her a couple of meters flying, making her hit the rock wall behind her. Loosing her footing, she fell to the ground, kneeling but her weapon still held securely in her right hand. She shook off her dizziness and while trying to use her gunblade as support to get back on her feet she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

She looked up in time to see a black blade descending rapidly towards her. Throwing her head back she avoided the worst but the pain in her forehead echoed through her like a thunder storm. Adrenaline rushed through her entire being and she tightening her grip on Revolver. She shifted the weight in her legs, looked right up at his mocking eyes, blood blurring her vision. Their eyes locked on each other's once more as she swung her blade up, right at his face.

He stepped back just in time to avoid taking on the full attack but did feel something sting right between his eyes. His hand went up to his injury and he saw blood.

Loosing her balance, she fell back to the ground kneeling and once more trying to use her gunblade to get back up.

"You got me Leonhart." He growled at her. "You fuc…" he stopped mid sentence as he watch her, slightly stunned as she could barely stand up.

He was about to add something but his words got caught up in his throat as she raised her head to look at him. He could only stare.

Blood flowed freely from her injury, obviously much more serious than his own, covering her right eye and dripping onto the floor. But her eyes were still locked in his with such determination or stubbornness, almost as she wanted to go on.

Her vision was so blurred now she could barely make out anything. And then, all went black.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_** "IT HAS BEGUN!" - Shang Tsung,**_

_**Mortal Kombat**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN: Ok, here we are, first chapter is out, second will also be up in a while (don't get very used to the two-for-one thing, though)._

_I hope you've enjoyed this little introduction, I know it's short, but that's why you get the second right now _

_Don't forget to leave your opinion. For those of you that also have stories out there, you know how "hearing" from your readers is important (for our self esteem, mostly). For those of you who don't, just take my word for it._

_Revir_


	2. Chapter 2: Upcoming Exam

**Disclaimer:**_Don't own Final Fantasy 8… stop asking!!_

**Chapter 2: Upcoming Exam**

**  
**

Dark, everything was black till she realised she had her eyes closed. She opened them slowly then closed them shut again, the sudden bright light hurting her eyes. She tried opening them again, slowly, slowly till her eyes adjusted. She could see she was in a very familiar white room, and her head hurt like hell.

"Awake now, are we." Someone said.

"Huh?" was her only reply.

She sat on the bed, with some difficulty and looked around. She was in the infirmary… again. _How did I get here?_ She wondered. A large woman rose from behind a desk and approached the young woman.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up. You have been here a lot lately, huh?" Dr. Kadowaki scowled, placing both her hands on her waist. Bending down to see her close, she raised an eyebrow and asked: "How are you feeling?"

"...My forehead hurts." She said plainly, lifting her hand to her forehead where she felt a bandage and frowned. _Great!_ She thought.

The doctor smiled slightly.

"No kidding! It's what you get when you fight all the time. Luckily it was only a practice match, you should be more careful."

"Tell that to Seifer…"

"Hah, you two, always at each others throats. I'm surprised you haven't killed each other yet." The doctor said with a mysterious smile while starting to walk away.

"It wasn't for lack of trying." She mumbled under her breath while rubbing her forehead.

"Did you say something?" Dr. Kadowaki asked, turning back at her.

"… No." She replied.

"Hmm… Are you sure you're alright?" She asked receiving only a nod as a reply, a nod that made the girl take her hand to her forehead again._Not very convincing_. "Hmm, I'm not sure…" she mumbled "Say your name for me."

The girl looked up at the doctor, her expression clearly saying: _Are you serious?_ Her stare didn't waver so she could only assume she was. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Schala." The doctor raised an eyebrow, looking at her intently. "Schala Leonhart."

"Very well." The doctor backed off, heading for her desk while the girl was starting to get out of bed.

"But" the girl froze, "I'm calling your instructor to pick you up!" The girl fell onto the bed again. "Just to be safe, now you have Trepe right?"

She wasn't really expecting any answer so she just dialled the phone.

"Yes, Quentin?" From across the room the girl let out a very un-lady like groan.

"Oh, everything is fine. I need you to come and pick up your student."

"No, it was nothing serious. It will probably leave a scar though." The girl sighed again.

"Yes, yes, she'll wait for you." She said those last words looking back at Schala, her expression left no room for argument. "I'll see you in a bit then, bye."

She gave that look to her once more and then left the room for a few moments.

OOOOOOOOOO

She was lying in the bed, not noticing the time go by when she heard a sound. Thinking it was the instructor she didn't move.

"Schala... so we meet again." The voice was soft, slightly amused and female.

That was definitely not the instructor; she turned to the adjacent cabinet from where the voice came and only saw a glimpse of a young woman walking away. _Who…?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door of the infirmary opening. A young man waved at someone outside the room and crossed it till he was in front of her bed. He looked at her and simply shook his head with a playful little smile on his face.

Schala sat back up in the bed and looked at the instructor with narrowed eyes. He was quite handsome, or at least most of the Garden's population seemed to thing so. He had blond hair reaching his lower back though most of it was tied up in a pony tail at the moment, leaving some of it loose framing his face. He had bright blue eyes and soft yet determined features, and wore the typical SeeD uniform.

Such was his popularity, he even had a fan club. The Trepies, they called themselves, a group of boys and girls that either wanted to be like him or be with him (respectively).

To Schala, however, instructor Trepe was just another pain in her ass.

"Here again? How many times has it been now, or have you lost count as well?"

_Was that supposed to be funny?_ She thought as she raised an eyebrow at him, only making him smile wider, and stood out of bed.

She got out of the brig, known to others as the infirmary and walked down the hall, the instructor strolling behind her, quickly gaining on her.

"Schala? Is there something bothering you?" he asked as he quickly caught up to her.

"Not really." They both said at the same time.

Schala stopped and half turned to the smiling man who was now looking up at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought.

"What's so funny?" she inquired, obviously annoyed.

He looked down, since he was two fingers taller than her (even in heels) and smiled gently.

"Funny? No." he said, still smiling. "I am just pleased that I'm finally beginning to understand my students, even if it's only a little bit."

She turned around and resumed walking. The silence stretched between them even as they walked side by side.

"I'm more complex than you think." She said after a while.

"Very well, then." He suddenly stopped, placing a hand on her shoulder forcing her to face him. "Tell me."

She stared at him with that emotionless expression, so characteristically hers. She always had that look, like nothing mattered, like she didn't care. The only one that could drag a reaction out of her was Seifer, and that never lead to a good thing. They would always end up arguing, with their gunblades.

Her stormy blue eyes kept his gaze for a few moments then she closed them and turned, starting to walk down the hall again.

"It's none of your…"

"Business!" he cut her off with a smile.

She resisted the urge to turn around and greet him with her best scowl, since it would definitely gain a smiling response and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was annoying her, still. Of course he didn't need her to acknowledge it, he knew quite well what he was doing.

He quickened his pace, passing by her motioning her to hurry up since they were already late for class.

OOOOOOOOOO

The doors buzzed open as Instructor Quentin Trepe entered the classroom causing the background noise to lower considerably.

"Good morning, class. Please take your seats." He said as he headed to his desk.

Several students greeted him back as others nodded or waved at him as they headed for their seats. Practically everyone liked this instructor, he was gentle, polite, respectful and cute. What's not to like?

A few seconds after he entered the doors buzzed open again revealing Schala. As she entered there were neither greetings nor such gestures. She simply walked into her desk in the back and sat down leaning against her seat, crossing her arms and legs, and stared forward at nothing in particular.

Some students were still whispering and a group of girls in the first rows were glaring back at her, which she ignored completely. Behind her a small group of teenagers were talking cheerfully, unaware or uncaring that the instructor had already arrived. Quentin raised his head, looking at that specific group. His stern look was enough for them to stop even though the blond one remained smirking.

The instructor cleared his throat, silencing any scattered chatter as he proceeded to the class' topic for the day.

"Well, as many of you have probably heard, today there will be the SeeD field exam."

Whispers erupted from everywhere, with a few low outbursts of "I knew it!" and "I told you so." Schala's gaze shifted from oblivion to the general direction of the instructor. Though he remained smiling, almost nostalgically at his students' antics, he had a silent seriousness about him. _This won't be a game…_

He raised his arms, asking for the attention of the class which immediately complied.

"All of those who will be taking the exam are to gather by the hall at 1600 hours. All those who are not, are to remain here in study hall during the time of the exam."

There were several groans of disappointment as many would not be taking the field exam due to poor written test results.

"The team's assignments will be designated at that time. Any questions?"

The room fell in silence as everyone understood the orders. Quentin scanned the faces of every student looking for any troubled expression. Schala was once again looking into nothing, and behind her the blonde teenager was smirking and whispering to his companions.

"Very well. Just one more thing, Seifer!" everyone's gaze turned to the blonde on the last row who looked back at the instructor with a mocking seriousness. Quentin's eyes narrowed slightly at his defiance. "Do try _not_ to injure your partner during training. Be more careful from now on."

Seifer's grin turned to a sneer as he slammed his fist in the desk, eyes focused on Schala's back. The girl, however didn't even flinch.

"Class dismissed!" Most students started to pack their things and head for the door. "And Schala, I need to talk to you before you go."

Her gaze returned to the instructor for a moment. _What now…_ She thought as she heard Seifer and his buddies pass by her desk in their way out of the classroom. Upon reaching it, Seifer slowed down and leaned on the desk so that their eyes were at the same level.

"Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did." He whispered with a smirk that really got on her nerves. Though her expression didn't show it, he could see her irritation reflected in her cold eyes. He gave her a wink and walked off.

Her eyes followed him till he left the room, only then did she rose from her seat and headed for the instructor that was talking to several other students. He smiled at her as she got closer.

"Have you been to the Fire Cavern yet? It is a requirement if you want to take the SeeD field exam today." His eyes scanned her for a reaction.

_I was gonna go this morning, but… _Her head lowered as she closed her eyes, remembering that morning's events…

«Flashback»

Schala was sitting in the cafeteria, minding her own business, while "playing" with a bowl of soggy cereals, which she had barely touched, when she heard footsteps from behind. A light grey long trench coat came into view and it took all her self control not to sigh.

He rounded the table and sat across it, right in front of her. Two other also approached the table. Raijin gave her a "Yo!" salute as Fujin just gave her the slightest of nods. She returned the nods, spared a glance at the blonde's smirking face and turned her eyes back to the fascinating bowl of flavourless "food".

"Hey, Leonhart! You heard?" She raised her eyes slowly till they were at the same level. "The SeeD field exam's gonna be today. Think you're gonna pass it?" He said, tilting his head, smirking wide at her.

"Do you?" She said abandoning the unpalatable breakfast and leaning back on her chair, arms and legs crossed, her intense stare focused on him.

He forced a smile and leaned back on his chair, his eyes betraying his growing annoyance. He then waved his left arm in a dismissive gesture.

"You know what they say. Third time's a charm!" Though trying to act cool anyone could tell he was nothing but. Both of them stared at each other, Schala maintaining her cold uninterested gaze as Seifer's glare reflected his barely contained anger.

Raijin was also sitting at the table, between them, his eyes darting from one to the other like he was watching a tennis match. His face showing amusement and concern in turns. As for Fujin who remained standing, her one eye was focused in the one spot right in the middle of them, her expression never wavering as it seemed like she was watching them both without actually looking at either of them.

"Humph, you'll see." Seifer started once again leaning on the table, his eyes loosing a bit of anger replacing it with arrogance. "I'll become a SeeD, and when I do, all will be kneeling before me…" His smirk came back at full force as his eyes showed lust. "… even you."

That did it. Her eyes were as cold as ice as she stood up in a flash, grabbed her tray and placed it in a nearby cart. Seifer was also quick on his feet and immediately stood before her and the exit. She narrowed her eyes, he was pushing her too far.

"What's the matter, Leonhart? Afraid you can't handle me?" He _was_ pushing her, he knew pretty well where this would lead. For such an_Ice Queen_ he sure knew how to read her.

"I can handle you!" She knew what he was doing, it's not like it was the first time they went down this road… it happened at least three times a week. Still she would never back down. "Just say when and where!"

"Thirty minutes by the cliffs." His answer was prepped in advance. "No enhancements, gunblades only."

"Fine!" She said, her ice cold gaze shooting icicles back at him.

She walked pass him and headed towards the exit. Inward, she was fuming, on the outside however it was like nothing had happened.

Seifer leaned to the back of Raijin's chair, the tall young man had watched the show from his early position only shifting to be able to see them. Fujin had remained standing, turning to see their word exchange. Seifer's eyes followed her movements as she walked away.

"I hate to see her go…" he didn't yell but said it loud enough so that she could still hear him, "… but love watching her leave."

«End of Flashback» 

…_Seifer…_

Her eyes shot open and narrowed, glaring at the recollection of those events. It annoyed the hell outta her that he always knew exactly which buttons to push.

Quentin saw with interest as, not exactly her facial expressions but the intensity of her eyes gave away her emotions. He already suspected what had happened that morning, still in his will to make her talk, he asked anyway.

"Do you have a good excuse?"

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked back at the instructor, for a moment forgetting what was asked.

"… Not really."

He sighed. He really wished she could be more open, not necessarily to him, and definitely not the way it went with Seifer, but something.

"Then we'll have to work on that. Meet me by the front gate at 1100." His eyes stayed with her till she nodded her agreement then he nodded back. He then turned to the students still present in front of him. "Sorry guys, we'll have to save it for another time." As he turned to get some papers from his desk he heard the three youngsters grunt in frustration. After having all he needed he turned back, waved his goodbyes and left.

Schala had headed back to her desk. She couldn't forget to retrieve Shiva, whom she had stored before the "training match". She hadn't liked it one bit, in fact Schala was pretty sure she would either get an earful or the silence treatment. She sat down and logged in the Garden mainframe. After a few seconds Schala finished pulling Shiva out, a bright clear blue light entered her mind as a chill ran down her spine. Shiva didn't say anything, instead she shot an ice cold pulse over her, making her shiver slightly to show her annoyance. She shook the feeling away, logged off the computer and headed outside.

She was so focused in her thoughts as she crossed the hall, she didn't even hear someone yelling.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm LATE!!" A male voice almost shrieked as he was running down the hall. Nearing the corner, he didn't see the girl until he was right on top of her. "Watch out!!"

Schala's instincts kicked in as she moved out of his way with amazing speed and agility. The young man surprised both by her appearance and disappearing from his way, lost all control and balance and slammed against the wall, falling back on the ground.

"Oowww…" He stayed on the floor for a while, shaking his head like he was shaking his confusion away. From his position he pulled his head back so that he was looking at her upside down. His bright emerald eyes sparkled as an apologetic smile showed in his feature. He then, in a sudden jump that almost made her step back in surprise, stood up and turned to face her fully.

"I'm sorry. I was kinda in a hurry. Are you ok?" He gave her a genuine smile that only served to enhance his childish innocent features, his floppy shoulder-length brown hair, with a couple hairs spiking on top of his head, only adding to the mix. Only when she was nodding her "I'm fine" did she noticed that he was incredibly tall, at least a head taller than her.

The young man was shaking invisible dust off his cadet uniform when his eyes glanced at the door down the hall where she had just come from. She turned and started to walk away when his voice made her stop.

"Ahmm, excuse me." He started, shyly. She turned back at him "Did you just come from that class?" She nodded. "Is… homeroom over?" He asked with a tinge of hope in his voice. She nodded again.

"Woo… Oh, nooo…" He wailed as he suddenly plopped down with his hands holding his head in slight despair, almost making her jump back. He remained down there, hugging his legs with his left hand as his right drew circles on the floor, muttering to himself, just like a child.

"This place is sooo much bigger than my last Garden, I got lost so many times already…" He mumbled. Then he stopped drawing circles as an idea flashed in his mind. From his position he looked up, his eyes had that sparkling hope in them again that almost made her flinch. He smiled and jumped to his feet, she was amazed at the difference in heights in both positions, and how quickly he changed between them.

"You know, I just transferred here." He paused and put on the most innocent pleading look he could muster. "Do you think you could give me a quick tour of this Garden?" He smiled widely in hope she would give in to his request, somehow she didn't look much like the people pleaser type.

She looked at him with her usual expression. There was something strangely familiar about him that was nagging her in the back of her head, especially since she couldn't quite reach it.

"Sure." She found herself saying without even realising it.

"Whoo-hoo!" He whooped jumping high, almost making twice her height. "Alright, let's go!" He cheered as he started following Schala that was already half way to the elevators.

They got into an elevator. Schala pressed the button for the first floor then leaned against the elevator walls. The young man however leaned on the supports, his nose almost touching the glass encasing, as he watched in awe the magnificent view of the Garden's interior.

The elevator stopped and Schala headed for the exit, the doors opening just as she was about to hit them. The male cadet watched her leave and immediately followed. She stopped at the staircase that lead to the main atrium and pointed to a consol in its centre.

"That's the directory." The boy looked over her shoulder at what she was pointing at. "It's like a map. Come on, I'll show you how it works." They went down the stairs and rounded the device. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the machine ahead of him. She then started explaining how to use it and a few tips about each area as he listened attentively only interrupting a few times to get the names of the Headmaster and the doctor.

_It would be so much easier if they taught how to use this in that initial tour…_ He thought as he remember the day he got there and an instructor kept babbling about something, as he guided the new cadets, straight outta Trabia Garden around their new "home". _ Hmm, maybe I should have paid attention in the first place._ The only thing he remembered hearing on the tour was something about the Garden Festival, to which he immediately volunteered. He considered asking the nice girl to help out but he assumed it was pushing his luck too thin.

Once she was finished with her rather practical explanation, she turned to him inquiring if he got it all.

"Yeah, thanks so much!" He said, cheerfully resisting the urge to hug her. He figured she wouldn't like that. "You're really a life saver. Say, are taking the SeeD exam later today?"

"Yes."

"Cool! Maybe I'll see you there!" He said with a smile. He then walked around the directory, waving at her as he walked off. "See ya!"

Schala followed him with her eyes till he was out of view. _Strange guy. So cheerful… _She shook those thoughts away and looked down at her wrist-watch. She still had a bit of time before meeting with the instructor so she headed towards the dorms.

She entered the double bedroom dorm and glanced at the second room. She had barely seen her roommate throughout the entire time that she had stayed there, she probably wouldn't even recognize her, not that she cared much. She entered her bedroom and looked around. Gazing at a small mirror over her dresser she realised she still had the bandage over her forehead. Frowning, she proceeded to its removal.

She raised her head looking at her reflection. Her hand passed over her recently obtained scar, it was still pink and slightly tender. He had marked her, now every time she'd look at herself she would be reminded of him. She found herself looking at the mirror with a strange expression, she shook it off, picked up a small pouch with some vials in it and left the room.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN: Hiya again! Hope you liked it!_

_Just to say, soon I'll be updating in Photobucket, a few character portraits and scene drawings (soon, as in, they're not there yet). For access to my album just search for irisa007, or through the link in my profile._

_Read ya around._

_Revir_


	3. Chapter 3: Obtaining Ifrit

**Disclaimer:**_I do not own Final Fantasy 8… I also don't own Allen from Escaflowne…_

**Chapter 3: Obtaining Ifrit**

**  
**

Quentin was standing by the front gate looking out to the green fields that surrounded the Garden. He wore a dark blue vest over a pristine white shirt with blue cuffs and white gloves, dark blue trousers and brown leather boots over them that reached just below the knee. Over the waist he had the lower part of a dark blue long four-cut surcoat with a black line on each stripe. Tightly attached to a loose brown leather belt was his black Chain Whip.

The wind blew strongly and his long blond hair, now loose, as well as the surcoat's long stripes, waved accordingly.

His mind wandered. _The SeeD exam. _It had been almost a year since he became an instructor and even thought it was the second time any of his students would take it, it still filled him with concern and doubt. _I hope it goes well._

He looked down at his watch, it was about time and Schala hadn't show up yet. He sighed as he turned and there she was, walking towards him in her calm pace. As she was very near him already, he glanced back at his watch and smiled. _Exactly 11 o'clock._

"Ok, everything set?" She nodded and he sighed. She raised an eyebrow to his reaction but he just waved it off. "Our objective is the Fire Cavern, it's situated Northeast of the Garden, by the cliffs. I suggest we take a route along the cliffs, that way we won't miss the Cavern and we can stock up plenty of blizzard spells that will prove useful. Any questions?"

To his greatest surprise, the girl shivered. It was a strange reaction, he thought. She shook her head and started to walk away from the Garden. When she noticed he wasn't following she looked back at him. Shrugging, he walked to her and they began their trek towards the Fire Cavern.

OOOOOOOOOO

Their walk was quite uneventful, a few Bite Bugs and Glacial Eyes that weren't much of a challenge, those last ones being the most useful since they allowed to stock up on plenty of Blizzard spells. It wasn't long till they could make out the cave in the distance.

As they approach a chilling female voice echoed inside Schala's head._**You better not forget what we talked about! **_

She sighed inwardly. How could she forget, the second Shiva had heard the words "Fire Cavern" she almost shrieked inside her mind:

_**We're going to the Fire Cavern?**__ Yes.__**NO! **__No?__**No! The only reason anyone goes to that wretched place is to capture Ifrit, and I DON'T want Dog-breath anywhere near… your head.**__ Shiva…__**I said no! No way, not ever! **_

Schala had rolled her eyes at the Guardian's antics.

_Shiva, I need to get him in order to take the SeeD field exam. There's no other way. __**But…**__ Do you want me to stay a cadet forever just because you don't like him? Sorry Shiva, no can do. I'm getting Ifrit today! Get used to the idea. _

She thought she'd handled that pretty well, all things considered. That was until Shiva sent an ice cold pulse through her, even worse than earlier, making her shiver. _**Fine, you can get him, but DO NOT junction him! If that thought even crosses your mind, and I'll know if it does, I swear I'll turn you into a human popsicle!**_

For an Ice Goddess she sure had a short temper.

As they neared the caves, Quentin stopped her.

"Here we are. The Fire Cavern lies up ahead. You have everything set?"

"Yes."

"Very well, take the lead." He nodded her to move on. She turned to the entrance and walked to it. As she approached she noticed two red robed figures with strange yellow hats, standing in the entrance. She never did like those guys…

When she got even closer those two Garden Faculty Members stood to block her way.

"SeeD candidate?" One of them asked, she couldn't be sure which since she couldn't see their faces. She stood in attention.

"Student ID Nº 41269, Schala Leonhart."

Both men nodded. "Objective: To obtain a low-level GF. A SeeD member must support. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Quentin stepped by her and also stood in attention. "I'll be her support. Instructor Nº 14, Quentin Trepe."

They nodded once more. "Select a time limit. Choose one suited to your abilities. Challenging yet reasonable."

"20 minutes." _Should be more than enough._

"Very well. Good luck." Schala resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at the man, the tone he'd used seemed to imply she would need it.

Both robed figures stood to the side allowing them passage. As they entered the cavern they resumed their positions blocking the exit.

_Here we go!_

The cavern was wide, still the second they stepped inside the hot air surrounded them. They started to go through it, Quentin apparently unaffected by the heat, despite his choice of clothing, while Shiva used her power to keep Schala's body temperature cool and bearable.

"My job is to support you in battle." Quentin said as they crossed a path covered by solidified lava formations. "You'll be calling the shots, I'll just follow your lead."

"Fine."

"You know, many students often choke on this test when I come with them." He started trying to lighten the mood. She was always so serious. He chuckled remembering one specific episode. "I even had a girl faint on me once. I guess my charm makes them nervous."

He had to stop abruptly. Schala had suddenly halted and turned back to face him. Her expression seemed very amusing to him, her narrowed eyes staring him down as if asking the point of such comments.

"What?" He asked smiling. "I'm just kidding! Trying to keep you relaxed, that's all." He finished with a smile.

She kept her narrowed eyes fixed on him, she then rolled her eyes in an apparent "Don't!", turned and resumed her way.

The young man sighed and shrugged, starting to follow her again.

They soon reached a wider area, and beyond the rock formations that delimitated their path was a lake of boiling lava. The temperature rose considerably making Quentin adjust the collar of his shirt as Schala acted as nothing had changed, Shiva doing her job well.

"We must be prepared from here on. There may be Bombs and other monsters around." Quentin said as the path narrowed beyond. She nodded her understanding and continued, Revolver drawn. He too removed his Chain Whip from his belt.

A few steps forward and the clapping of wings could be heard, from all directions. They were quickly surrounded by a group of about eight Red Bats. They stood back to back and got ready to take them on.

Quentin cracked his whip launching it towards the bats. He grabbed two of them by their wings and slammed them on the ground, they screeched in pain but he wasn't done with them yet. He twisted his wrist and sent them flying onto a third one, the three bats falling in the lava as he had already launched his whip onto the fourth breaking his wings making it fall limp on the ground.

At the same time, Schala charged at the small creatures. With one swing she cut clean through two of them and then parried a third one's strike as she ducked under the fourth's charge. She caught one of them as it was flying away and quickly turned hitting the other that was getting ready to attack her.

Both youths turned to look at the other, none of then showing any signs of fatigue from that small encounter. Their eyes soon widen as they looked behind the other. Schala saw a Buel accompanied by five Red Bats getting closer to Quentin as he saw two Bombs jumping from the lava and heading towards her. Both nodded as they understood each' situation.

Quentin sent a Blizzard spell towards the closest Bomb, temporarily freezing it in place as Schala cast a thunder spell catching two of the bats, killing them instantly, and one of the Buel's outer wings, slowing it down. Then they both turned, Quentin sending his whip at the bats as Schala parried the second Bomb's charge.

The heat emanating from the closeness of the Bomb was growing more intense in a way that Schala felt it even through Shiva's protection. Remembering something from earlier that day, Schala gave instructions to her GF. She could almost feel the goddess grinning as she sent an ice cold pulse out of the girl's body hitting the Bomb straight on forcing it to back up. Taking advantage of its momentary confusion she launched an ice spell its way damaging it further and sliced down clean through its body finishing it for good.

All the while, Quentin was dispatching the bats without great difficulty. As the Buel grew closer four more bats came from behind it surrounding him. They were right on top of him, coming from all sides. So he kneeled down and cracking his whip he made it circle above his head grabbing all of the bats and sending them to the side walls of the path. The two bats that resisted that attack were immediately stroked down once again by the whip. Quentin turned to find the Buel heading to its first offender, Schala, who was now battling the defrosted Bomb.

Schala had noticed the ice melting around the first Bomb and charged against it. The monster sent a fire spell at her which she ducked and rolled to avoid. Closing the distance between them Schala swung at the Bomb damaging it greatly, she then cast a blizzard spell right at the injury before it had the chance to recover. The ice spell's strength was doubled by its location and the monster fell to never rise again.

She felt something moving near her and turned just in time to see Quentin's Chain Whip grabbing two of the Buel's wings and drag him on the floor to his location. He placed a foot on its center to keep it from squirming too much as a thunder spell hit it, killing it.

He looked up from his victim and smiled. After that the rest of the way was considerably calmer just with a few bats and the occasional bomb or Buel. As they advanced to the end of the cave the temperature kept rising and rising.

"So it seems the rumors are true. You and Seifer are really in a league of your own." Quentin noted making her stop and look at him sideways. "Both of you show great strength and an outstanding potential." _If only you worked together instead of against each other…_ He finished in thought since he wouldn't dare say it out loud.

She kept her side glare at him for a while. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Seifer. She broke eye contact and looked ahead. Directly in front of them the path broke into two only to join again making a circular pool filled with hot boiling lava.

"Ok, here we are. Ifrit should be just up ahead." Quentin pointed out at the pool by the end of the cave. He looked back at her. "Are you ready?"

Schala's grip on Revolver tightened as she stepped forward in response.

"You seem confident enough." He said as he also readied himself for the battle.

As they neared the lava pool the ground beneath and the cave all around them began to shake as the lava in the small pool started to boil more ferociously.

"Here he comes!" Quentin yelled out as he stood in battle position a bit to her side. She only nodded, her eyes never leaving the fierce lava.

Lava splashed out of the pool as a tremendous beast jumped from within. The brown skinned demon landed heavily on the ground in front of them causing it to quake. He stretched, revealing more of his figure, his dog-like features, his fiery mane, his dark sharp claws and his long black horns made the Fire Lord an imposing opponent. His roar filled the cave causing other nearby monsters to flee in terror.

He looked down to the only two figures who hadn't ran nor shown any intention to.

"**Impudent humans! YOU DARE TO DEFY ME??"** He roared once more and the battle began.

Schala charged at the beast, her weapon ready to attack. She brought her hand forward to cast a Blizzard spell. However the spell didn't reach the creature freezing a few steps away.

Ifrit scoffed, to think that such puny humans had challenged him was almost insulting. He got ready to swipe the girl off the ground as she got closer. But she didn't stay on the ground. Nearing the ice block she had made before, she jumped onto it using it as leverage and went flying swinging her blade and cutting through the creature's lower chest.

The beast howled in pain as he turned to strike at his offender. Schala landed with a roll and swiftly jumped outta reach of the demon's long arms. Quentin sent an ice spell at his legs trapping one of them, following his lead Schala froze his other one. Caught off guard and outta balance, Ifrit stumbled forward on to the ground. She immediately ran at him and jumping onto his back, without even slowing down, she lowered her blade cutting deep through the length of his back. Her right hand pressed the trigger right before the creature arched his back forcing her to get off it.

The temperature rose as Ifrit used it to melt the annoying ice. He had underestimated these humans, he was aware of that. He narrowed his big yellow eyes. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He sent several fire balls at both of them. Quentin rolled to avoid the first one and cast a blizzard right at the second that came his way, fire and ice nullifying each other. Schala saw three coming her way. With nowhere to run and without time to cast three blizzards, she hailed help from within. _Shiva, HELP!_

The girl brought her weapon in front of her defensively. She felt a cold surge going through her arms and right in front of her a thick ice shield formed blocking the fire balls. Steam rose from the melted shield as Schala silently thanked the goddess.

Refocusing on the battle at hand, Schala's eyes searched the grounds for her opponent. She frowned as he was nowhere to be seen.

"Schala, above you!" She barely had time to acknowledge his warning before the massive beast landed, fist first, where she was standing a mere fraction of a second before. She only had time to jump back but the earth tremor caused by his landing made her loose her footing and fall backwards. The beast grinned as he threw his right arm back and swung fast at the fallen girl.

Schala readied herself to receive the blow, eyes open, she wouldn't flinch. A thin black chain wrapped itself in the demon's arm, the chain tensed and his arm stopped. Ifrit looked back and saw Quentin holding his whip with amazing force. However his GF enhanced strength wasn't enough to match the Fire Lord's, he was being slowly dragged as the beast pulled his arm back.

Quentin released Ifrit's arm and cast a blizzard spell, aiming for the first injury inflicted by the blade. His attention drawn, the beast launched at him missing by millimeters. The instructor sent multiple ice spells at him, focusing on previous wounds to maximize damage. However Ifrit healed fast even without the direct use of healing spells and most of them were no longer visible.

"MOVE!" He heard her yell, looking past it he saw a clear blue light surrounding Schala's dark frame. Ifrit was also attracted by her shout giving Quentin time to get out of the way.

Her summoning was almost ready as the creature looked at her, slightly curious. _You hate him so much? Show me!_She kneeled down, her left hand touching the ground as she whispered the Guardian's name.

"Shiva." She stepped back as a circle of ice formed where her hand had touched. The circle grew wider and then an icicle erupted from the ground. Stirring from within caused the ice to shatter revealing a female form with blue skin and long blond hair. Shiva's eyes opened and focused on her opponent.

"**Shiva?"** Ifrit's eyes widened as he whispered her name. He never thought he would see her again.

"**Dog-breath."** She said, her voice causing a chill to go through anyone that heard her. Her usual impassive face was filled with anger, her eyes narrowed with a freezing glare. She raised her right hand making the tiny icicles that remained of her ice prison to stir and rise in mid-air.

"**They…"** His eyes narrowed in annoyance, which quickly turned to rage. **"THEY HAVE SHIVA!?"** He roared causing the cave to tremble once more.

She shot her hand forward and the ice shards flew at Ifrit causing him numerous small thin (painful) cuts all over his form. As he growled in pain she raised both her hands above her head. The temperature around her rose as she pulled all the cold and humidity to that one spot between her palms. Clear blue light shone from the pure cold energy sphere she was creating. She then slammed her hands down releasing all of her power.

A pure cold wave spread in front of her covering everything in a thick layer of ice, lava, earth and even Ifrit was encased in the freezing ice. She straightened up, her left hand throwing a tuff of hair behind her back.

"**Serves you right." **Her eyes kept narrowed and chilling as she murmured those words. Then all of the ice completely shattered in a moment. Much of the ice over the lava melted down as the remaining cold shards remained floating in the air. Ifrit kneeled down in suffering due to the amount of time he had been frozen.

Using the last of her power, Shiva willed the icicles to fly towards him once more, his eyes widening as he realized he couldn't avoid them. The Ice Goddess, her energy drained, turned into pure blue light and returned to her master's mind. In a last desperate attempt to save himself, Ifrit conjured a massive fire wall surrounding him. The icicles hit the barrier melting on contact but also weakening the fire's intensity at those spots. Though most of the attack was nullified, some ice shards survived the shield lodging themselves in the demon's body.

Once the mist formed by the melting ice subsided, Ifrit was a sight to be seen. His massive form was breathing hard, with a knee on the ground, he was covered by deep wounds of the large ice spikes still stabbed all over him. But it wasn't over yet. With a growl of rage Ifrit raised his body temperature melting the ice. And as he got back to his feet, he was covered in an orange aura and his wounds were closing. He raised his eyes to reveal they were no longer yellow but red and focused on the two trespassers that had dared to cause him such pain.

Quentin had to suppress a gulp as the Fire Lord's eyes showed frightening rage. Schala's grip tightened as her muscles tensed. _I think we pissed him off._ She thought as she sharpened her senses, ready to react to the littlest of things.

Ifrit's roar echoed throughout the cavern all the way to the entrance, making even the two robed figures to jump in surprise and fear.

Ifrit charged at the two teens, both jumping back to avoid his swing. He was completely enraged. He made a second swing catching Quentin on his side, throwing him against the wall and didn't even notice Schala going through his legs cutting deep and pressing the trigger. Such was his state of rage that even being a serious injury he only registered it as a minor one, swinging and chasing after the girl as she moved away from him. She turned suddenly casting blizzard at his injured leg making him trip and fall heavily.

Quentin had recovered, after casting a healing spell on himself, and chased them down. Even on the ground Ifrit still waved his arms around preventing her from getting closer. The ice melted and he jumped to his feet jumping again at her. She jumped to the side and rolled to avoid it. The sound of Quentin cracking his whip caught her attention. He launched it to the beast's legs trapping one of them as Schala approached cutting his arm severely. He kicked it back, hitting her but luckily she was fast enough to bring her weapon between them and wasn't hurt bad.

He focused on the blonde holding him and sent a fire spell at him. Quentin released him, dodged and cast a blizzard at the creature's head, temporarily blinding him. The powerful beast trashed around unable to see his targets. The girl got back up, receiving a cure from the instructor and got ready for the next strike. She neared the beast casting an ice spell trapping his left side as Quentin cast another trapping his right leg.

Ifrit roared as the adrenaline from his enraged state started to die down and an intense tiredness threatened to overcome him. She charged again, aiming for his chest. Her blade cut deep through the frozen flesh pressing the trigger magnifying the damage inflicted.

The creature fell heavily on the ground as both Schala and Quentin regrouped, both breathing hard. _Is it over?_ Schala asked herself, even though it was a low level GF, it was a GF nevertheless and the battle had been far from easy.

The Fire Lord rose once more, both teens stood in ready to continue. But he seemed beat.

"**For me to lose to a human…"** He said with a sigh before he kneeled down in front of them. **"Very well, I will join you."**

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN: Here it is, chapter three! __I hope you liked it. _

_In case you're still wondering, I don't own Allen from Escaflowne, but Quentin is a total Copy/Paste of him, only with the Chain Whip instead of the sword. The second I started entertaining the idea for this fic, his image automatically popped into my head for the male Quistis part. I'm sure that those that have seen the anime would agree with me._

_I would also take this opportunity to thank all of you that have read it so far (and that I hope will keep on it), but especially for the ones that have reviewed. You can't imagine the happiness that fills me when I read your reviews. A feeling that I'd like keep on having, so don't forget to push the button bellow and write something sweet ;)._

_Read ya around._

_Revir_


	4. Chapter 4: Getting Ready

**Disclaimer:**_For the… fourth time. No, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII!_

**Chapter 4 – Getting Ready**

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**

The two teenagers relaxed a bit, relieved that they wouldn't have to keep battling the powerful flame demon. Quentin looked at her as Schala approached the still kneeling beast, bowing respectfully. Ifrit smiled and bowed his head as he turned into an orange and red light and entered her mind.

_**Watch were you going, Dog-breath, just stay in a corner till we get rid of you.**_ Shiva's cold voice sounded inside her head. Schala sighed inwardly. _I feel a headache coming…_ Was she right!

_**I'll stand wherever I please, woman! You're not the one I serve.**_ Ifrit's deep voice replied in anger. _**You will NOT serve this one! Both of us cannot, will not stay in the same mind! As soon as we find someone able, you're leaving!**_ Her sharp cold tone almost yelled.

_Hey, you two…_Schala tried to say but she was cut off by Ifrit's loud growl._** It's somewhat fine to me! You have already placed yourself at home here, haven't ya? This place is colder than ice!**_

She was looking forward as Quentin got into her field of vision. He was smiling and saying something relatively important, she could tell but she didn't register a word. The petty battle of wills that was going in her mind was preventing her of focusing on anything.

_Could you…_ She tried again, but Shiva interrupted again. _**Still your stench is starting to spread even if you're not here for even a minute!**__ Will…__**Humph, since when are you so delicate, wench!**__ … you two…__**How dare you! You foul, sorry excuse for a demon! **__… ever…__**Look who's talking! Your pathetic attacks couldn't even freeze Trabia! **__… BE QUIET!!_ Her own voice echoed in her mind immediately silencing the two surprised Guardians. She sighed, relieved. Her mind stilled in a temporary calm.

"Schala? Are you listening?" Quentin asked in response to her actions and glazed look.

_**But…**_ The two entities started at the same time._ SILENCE! Any other word from any of you in the next half an hour and I'll cast silence on myself! Now… BEHAVE!_ The two GFs fell silent once more and her mind was finally at peace.

"Schala? Hello?" He said waving a hand in front of her face. She shook it off and looked at him.

"What?!" She said, her tone more abrupt than usual. He raised both his eyebrows.

"We only have about four minutes left, we should hurry back." He calmly explained.

_Of course… See what you were doing!_ She sent into her mind, both her two new neighbors grunting an apology.

"Ok, let's get back." She said finally, her tone returning to normal, her normal at least. Quentin nodded and both jogged to the exit.

They reached the entrance still with a couple of minutes to spare. The two robed men stood aside allowing them to exit the cavern.

"Well done, you have managed to acquire the GF then?" One of them asked, again Schala couldn't exactly tell which one. She stood in attention, more outta formality than respect.

"Yes, I have." She answered.

"I confirm it." Said Quentin, also standing in attention.

"Good. Since you're the last participant, you may keep the GF, Ifrit." He continued gaining a light frown from the girl. "Good luck to the field test, make our Garden proud! Dismissed."

Both stood in attention again and then turned to leave. When they were out of earshot, Schala turned to the instructor.

"What did they mean by me being allowed to keep it?" She asked, she'd found his choice of words awkward.

Quentin turned to her with a smile, the one he always had when he was teaching or explaining something.

"Low level GFs aren't very abundant, even high level ones are quite rare. Since we evaluate the aptitudes of our cadets by making them battle GFs if everyone that fought one would keep it there wouldn't be enough for everyone to be graded." He explained looking ahead. "So, all those who take this preliminary test and defeat, in this case Ifrit, have to release it in the end so that others can do it too. Since you're the last one before today's exam you get to keep it." He finished looking back at her to see if she had understood.

Her frown lessened. _Actually it might have been better if I had to release him… _She thought. It wasn't like she had a friend she could give him to. And she couldn't keep him either. If those two stayed together in her mind much longer they wouldn't kill each other, no. They'd drive her mad.

She nodded her understanding and they started heading back to Garden.

OOOOOOOOOO

They arrived at Garden without any major setback. Surprisingly, not even Schala's two guests made much of a fuss. It seemed each was giving the other the _silent treatment_, which was fine by her.

"We're back." Quentin noted. Looking down at his wristwatch he added. "And we still have a few hours before the field test." He raised his eyes to meet hers. "I suggest you use this time to rest up. The Fire Cavern trial was quite demanding." He finished with a light smile.

The girl turned her head to the side. _Sure, it wasn't easy. But nothing I couldn't handle._ She thought. _I'm more concerned about the SeeD exam._

Quentin's smile widened. "That's why you should rest till it's time." He said seeing her solemn expression.

Her eyes darted back at his face. _How did he... Am I that predictable? _She asked herself looking down. She didn't consider herself predictable, she was complex! How…

"Everyone is concerned about the upcoming exam." He spared her inner turmoil. "Even the instructors. So, don't worry and rest so that you are at your best when the time comes." He said with a reassuring smile. "Remember to be in uniform at the main lobby at 1600." He added as he started to walk away. "I'll see you then."

Schala watched as the instructor left her line of sight. Her eyes wandered to the peaceful green plains. Breathing in the soft air she turned and looked at her watch. Indeed there were still a few hours till the exam. She decided to go to her dorm and sleep in till it was time.

OOOOOOOOOO

She woke up to a pretty vicious argument, but she couldn't understand what was being said. She opened her eyes slowly taking in her surroundings. She felt neither danger lurking nor any people around for that matter. She sat on the bed and looked around. The voices were still echoing in her head, like a bad memory. _Memory?_She sighed. _Not again…_ She thought shaking her head.

She walked over her small bathroom and splashed water on her face. The cold sensation awoke her fully. She walked back into her room and picked up her items pouch, checking it contents. Apparently satisfied, she raised her head, closing her eyes and trying to focus her mind despite the loudness in it.

_Don't say I didn't warn you two._ She thought calmly. She never knew if the two entities sharing her mind registered her words at that moment since seconds later her mind was filled by a strange mist and went mute. She opened her eyes gazing at the mirror in front of her and almost smiled to the calmness she felt. She looked at the clock on her wall and noticed she still had about thirty minutes before the gathering at the lobby. She sighed and went back to take a shower and get ready.

After a few minutes, she exited the bathroom wearing only a towel around her, her damped hair slightly dripping onto the carpet. She went to her dresser and withdrew a pile of blue clothes, placing them on her bed. She frowned as she looked down at the cadet's uniform and changed into it. While arranging the yellow neck scarf she looked down, her frown never leaving her features.

Sure the cadet uniform was comfortable and practical, allowing her to move freely, but she never did like it much, mainly the skirt. Not that it was shorter or longer than the one she usually wore, but it was wider on the bottom and rose easily. She wasn't too bothered by that, she just felt more at ease in her own clothes.

Looking at her dresser she noticed her ring and picked it up. It had the graving of a lion's head. _Griever_, someone told her its name was. She couldn't remember who. That ring was all she had left from her family. She remembered that someone telling her it had belonged to her father, some kind of heirloom or family crest. It never left her side ever since she arrived at Garden, a little over ten years ago, usually on a chain around her neck. Only recently had she been able to wear it in one of her fingers. She placed it back on her right thumb, caressing it gently.

Looking at her dresser again she picked her pouch and removed a vial from it. Drinking the cold liquid she felt sound and awareness returning to her mind. _Are you more calm now? _She spoke to her companions. They only grunted back. She grinned, picked up Revolver and left her room.

OOOOOOOOOO

Arriving at the main lobby, she saw many groups of people, mostly cadets, spread all around. Examining the room, she noticed an arm outstretched and approached it.

"Schala! Over here!" She heard Instructor Trepe yell out once she got closer. He was standing a bit to the left of the directory in full SeeD uniform. As she got nearer, he continued. "I'm the instructor responsible for your squad's debriefing. Now let's see…" He looked down at his papers for a second. "… You'll be teaming up with… Zanya Dincht." He raised his eyes slightly to see the frown forming in her face and suppressed a smile. "Quite the lively gall." He said raising his head fully.

Schala's frown deepened.

"Lively?"_Not exactly the word I'd use… _"Can't I switch members?" She said in bored tone.

"I'm afraid not." He answered, his smile starting to show. "Ah, there she is. Over here, Zanya!" He pointed out.

Schala turned slightly to look at who Quentin had called out. She saw a girl, a bit shorter than her if one didn't count the hair that spiked up and backwards, the rest falling over reaching her lower back as a few strands fell over her shoulders. She was currently fighting invisible opponents as she practiced her free hand fighting style. What called Schala's attention was what she was wearing. Instead of the usual female uniform she used the female's upper part and the typical male uniform's pants. She supposed she had requested for that change since her fighting style demanded she moved around a lot and it wouldn't be very practical to do so in a short skirt.

The girl finally looked back at them and flashed a smile. She also wore several piercings in her ears and a small ring one over her left eyebrow. She took a few steps forward and did a series of back flips finishing up with a backwards mortal, landing steadily a couple of meters away from them. She jogged the remaining distance, stopping in front of both of them.

She saluted the instructor, who responded accordingly, then turned to face the other girl. Her eyes widened as recognition hit.

"Whoa! I'm with you!?" She asked with a big smile, sticking her hand out for a shake. Schala looked down at the stretched hand then back at her with a stoic expression. Zanya's smile faltered as she lowered her arm, shaking her head like she was half expecting that reaction.

She looked up again and smirked.

"I heard you had quite a morning, huh? Getting beaten up by Seifer again, in another _Lover's quarrel_." She said quite pleased with herself, ignoring or unaware of the deadly glare the brunette girl gave her upon hearing those words.

Quentin had to lower his head to hide the wide smirk he gained when he heard that, already imagining her reaction. As far as rumors went, Balamb Garden resembled any ordinary high school. And, by far, the most popularly debated one was that of Seifer and Schala's "_relationship_". He was constantly hitting on her and she was always blowing him off, which usually ended up in a fight. They said it was a _Love-Hate_ thing and that they should just make-out and get it over with. Of course they would never say that when either of them was around.

"We were training." The temperature in that area considerably lowered as she said that, and it had not been Shiva's doing. Zanya looked back at her and had to suppress a shiver as her ice cold glare was throwing icicles at her.

"Yeah, sure." She said, regaining her courage. "I bet that's what he's saying. Maybe you should just…" She stopped herself in time. "… ignore him." She finished carefully.

Schala's eyes narrowed, but her glare lessened. She crossed her arms under her chest, tilting her head to the side.

"Mind your own business." She raised her head as a male voice echoed her words. Both girls turned to the instructor as he cleared his throat, eliminating every trace of previous amusement.

"Well… hmm… I think you should know that, that Seifer you're talking about…" He paused, preparing himself. "… He's your squad leader."

The silence stretched for the full ten seconds it took for the two girls to register that information. Then, Schala hung her head shaking it slightly as Zanya stepped back with a rather loud outburst.

"SAY WHAT!?" All heads in the lobby turned to see what all the commotion was about. The cadets started laughing and whispering among them as the remaining instructors shook their heads.

Schala raised her head looking at the instructor. Expecting her question, he raised his hand and shook his head. The girl rolled her eyes at both the situation and Zanya's reaction.

"Ah, Seifer! There you are. Care to join us?" He added noticing the approaching teen.

Seifer was coming towards them, sneering and in a calm pace. Behind him, like they always were, were Raijin and Fujin.

"Congratulations, you're the squad leader. Good luck to you." He said smiling.

"… Instructor." Seifer said, annoyance evident in his voice. "I hate it when people wish me luck. Save those words for a bad student that needs them, eh?"

"Ok, then." Quentin replied with a thoughtful expression. "Good luck, Seifer." _With that attitude of yours, you might actually need it._ He finished in thought.

Seifer's sneer turned into an angry stare. He turned to his _pose_ whispering loud enough that Schala could hear.

"Add Instructor Trepe to the list!" Both nodded immediately.

_List? What's that all about?_ She sighed._Seifer and his nonsense._

Hearing her sigh, Seifer turned to look at her. She raised her eyes onto his. He smirked wide as he looked her over, probing her up and down with his eyes. She frowned. It didn't exactly embarrass her, it annoyed her that he'd look at her like that. His examination done, he looked up apparently satisfied.

Zanya tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a chuckle making the blonde youth tear his gaze from one girl to the other. He looked this girl up and down and when he looked at her face it had a mocking grin. The girl tensed resisting the urge to slam her fist in his face.

Quentin cleared his throat gaining the attention off all of the teenagers.

"If I may?" He asked pointedly. All of them turned to face him. He smiled. "Well then. You three are assigned to Squad B. As the instructor in charge I must warn you that teamwork is of the utmost importance." Seifer snorted. Quentin ignored it. "Let's all get through this exam."

All went silent as they noticed the Headmaster approaching. Quentin and all of the other teams turned to face him. Seifer turned to the others with a smug expression.

"Listen up! Teamwork means staying out of my way. It's a Squad B rule. Don't you forget it!" He said, sparing a glance to the two girls before turning to the Headmaster.

The Headmaster walked till he was in front of the directory. He was a bulky middle-aged man with short brown hair. He wasn't very tall and wore a dark red vest over a white shirt, brown trousers and shoes. His clever eyes shone from behind his glasses.

"Everyone here?" He asked, peering into the faces of each instructor for their confirmation. Satisfied he nodded and continued. "It's been a while, everyone. How's everyone doing?" His gaze ran the crowd. There he saw confidence, hesitation, doubt and courage. He smiled._Quite the bundle of cadets we have this time._

He breathed deep and continued. "This exam will involve 12 members from Squads A through D... You will be proceeding to a real battlefield." He noted as some fidgeted and suppressed a caring smile. "Obviously, the battles are for real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace... Each of these go hand in hand. There's only one way or the other." He paused for a moment so that his audience could absorb his words. "How 'bout it? Are you still up for it?"

He stopped, once more observing the expressions of the young cadets. Some showed a tinge of fear however even in those there was a glow behind it. He smiled as none of them backed out. "You will be accompanied by 9 SeeD members. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do. Well, that's one less worry on your mind. The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands and accomplish the mission. Prove yourselves worthy of becoming a member of SeeD. Best of luck to you all."

He smiled again, nodding something to the SeeDs near him as he waved at all present, taking his leave.

Quentin turned back at his team. The three teens showed an understanding expression. "We'll be taking a Garden vehicle into town where we will board the transportation that will lead us to the field test's location. Follow up." He finished turning and motioning them to follow. Seifer brushed through them, waving at his two friends and followed the instructor. Schala and Zanya followed right behind them.

When they were nearing the parking lot, Zanya pulled the other girl to the side.

"Hey Schala! You got Ifrit from the Fire Cavern, right? Did you get to keep it?" The girl looked slightly surprised at the martial artist's question, but nodded her yes. "Do you think… I could have him?" She asked hesitantly. "We really hit it off during that trial, it was a real tear breaking moment when I had to let him go." She said looking down.

Schala eyed the girl.

"_**Tear breaking moment"? Well now, Dog-breath, I didn't know YOU could cry.**_ Shiva's cold voice sounded in her mind, highly amused. _**There were no tears from my part! That girl is crazy, delusional!**_ A loud screeching laughter was the Ice Goddess' reply. Schala rolled her eyes, which the other girl sensed as a no and hung her head.

_Do you want to go?_ She asked. In a way she accepted him as a powerful ally, on the other hand she couldn't handle those two constant bickering. _**I would like too, yes. No offense, but your head isn't big enough.**__ Very well._

"Fine." She said as the other girl started to walk away.

"Really? Thanks!" She said, smiling and an orange and red light passed from one mind to the other.

_**It was about bloody time.**_ Shiva's voice echoed in her, though Schala believed for a second that the Ice Guardian was going to miss those arguments.

_**We meet again.**_ Ifrit's voice filled the blond girl's mind. _Welcome back._ She responded.

Both girls ran to the parking lot area as the others were no longer in sight. They reached the transport in time to enter just behind Seifer, so their little conversation remained unknown to others.

The car jumped in to life and they started their drive to the town of Balamb. Feeling a new wave of confidence due to the moment shared earlier, Zanya turned in her seat to the other girl. There was something she was awfully curious about.

"Hey, Schala. Show me your gunblade, will ya?" The girl turned her head to look into her sky blue eyes. After keeping her gaze for several seconds she closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"Oh, c'mon!" Nothing. "Just a peek!" Again, no reaction. "Tch, fine…" The rest was whispered to herself and none understood a word of it as the girl crossed her arms and pouted. She opened one eye and noted that Schala hadn't moved, not falling for her act. "Are you deaf, mute and blind? What're you thinking?"

"… Nothing." Again a male voice echoed her own. She opened her eyes, directing a scowl at the now laughing instructor. She rolled her eyes looking forward and almost groaned as sitting right in front of her was a very amused Seifer. She frowned, crossing her arms and legs and leaning back on her seat.

Seifer raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell down to her crossed legs. His smirk widened as a very suggestive look passed through his features. Scowling at him now, which he must've found really amusing as he smiled at her, Schala's temper began to rise.

Meanwhile, unaware of the events right beside her and bored to death, Zanya had stood up and was now, once again, attacking invisible opponents, simply punching the air around her. When one of those air kicks broke the other two's eye contact, Seifer scoffed and turned to her.

"Stop that, it's annoying… Scaredy-cat."

After registering what he called her, Zanya turned abruptly looking angrily at him.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" She yelled loudly almost rocking the car. Seifer only laughed right at her face. She started to tremble, her anger rising.

Quentin sat there, eyes closed but a frown on his face. "Knock it off!" His commanding tone didn't go unnoticed. Zanya sat back down, though still barely controlling herself and Seifer stopped laughing, returning his gaze to the one in front of him.

Schala was barely aware of the events around her as she was lost in her thoughts. Those took her to that morning in the infirmary, to the young woman that had appeared there and that had sounded so familiar. She raised her head looking at the instructor. _Maybe he knows who she was._

Feeling her gaze, Quentin raised his eyes to meet hers. "Yes? Is there a problem?"

The girl kept her gaze for a while. _Nah, why should I care? It really doesn't matter anyway._ She said to herself, lowering her eyes. "No… not really…"

Zanya was looking from one to the other, missing the instructor's disappointed sigh. Seifer kept looking at her, curious but he'd never ask.

After a few minutes of silence, the car slowed down considerably indicating they'd reached the town. It took them only a couple of minutes more till it reached a full stop. From the front a voice was heard. "We're here."

"Let's go." Quentin said as he moved out of the car, followed by the cadets.

They were at the docks of Balamb and there were several attack-class vessels leaving it and only one still docked.

Schala's eyes locked onto that one as she breathed in. "So that's the vessel…" She whispered low.

She almost jumped as she felt an arm on her shoulders, not expecting to have been heard. Surprise quickly turning to annoyance as she realized whom it belonged to.

"Ain't no turning back now. Huh?" He said. She started to tremble slightly, disliking his closeness. He was about five seconds away of being hit in the head. "You scared, too?" He asked, perfectly aware that her shivering had nothing to do with fear or cold.

He moved away from her just as her count had reached zero. A man standing by the pier waved at them, yelling: "Hey! You there are the last! Hurry up and get in!" Quentin and Zanya rushed to the vessel.

Seifer turned back at her using his right hand to raise her chin so that their eyes met for a second. He saw her surprised look and leaned forward taking advantage of her being temporarily stunned. "Don't disappoint me now." He whispered in her ear and jogged to the pier before she could react. Her eyes narrowed in pure anger. But her mental rant was interrupted as Quentin called out at her.

"Hurry, Schala!" Shaking her thoughts away she ran to the vessel.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Here it is, one more chapter! Hope you enjoyed it._

_Not many stuff happening in this one, I know… next one will have some action!_

_About Ifrit, I know I changed the mechanics somewhat, but stay with me. The GFs, when junctioned, inhabit the mind of their masters, right? So it didn't make sense to me that one entity could be used by more than one person at one given time. Hence that little explanation. And also due to that, I'll be adding more summons, one for male Selphie and Seifer, for example. Also, other SeeDs, like Xu and Nida, will also have their own GFs, so I'll be using summons from other Final Fantasy games, like FF9, 7, 10 and 6 (None of the big ones, KotR or Magus). _

_I'm open to suggestions, if there's a summon you'd really like to see here, I might take it into consideration ;). _

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	5. Chapter 5: The Field Exam

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy 8… I'm so depressed…_

**Chapter 5: The Field Exam**

**  
**

Instructor Trepe and the cadets sat down in the cramped room inside the aquatic transport. Much to her dismay, Schala verified that the only vacant seat was right next to Seifer. _At least I won't have to look at his face._ She thought as she sat, though that position was far from comfortable.

The vessel shook as its engines roared into activity, and started speeding towards the ocean. A few moments after a door opened revealing a woman with short dark hair, wearing the SeeD uniform. Her dark penetrating eyes scanned the cadets before focusing on the blond instructor. A soft smile came to her features as he stood to greet her.

"Hello, Xu." He said with a gentle tone as he stepped in front of her.

"Quentin." She replied. Their eyes met for a moment before the dark-haired woman broke contact, looking back at the other teenagers. "Are these your batch?"

"Yes, these are the members of Squad B." He said chuckling slightly, also directing his eyes at them after one last gaze at the woman.

Zanya jumped into attention. "Zanya Dintch! Nice to meet ya!" Such enthusiasm gaining smiles from the SeeDs and a snort from the blonde cadet.

Schala stood up and saluted her ranking officer respectfully. "Schala Leonhart." She said simply, nodding her greeting.

Xu nodded back, her gaze falling on the third cadet.

"Seifer, how many times has it been now?" She asked with a slightly amused expression.

Seifer leaned back on his seat, placing his feet on the small table between the couches and tilted his head in her general direction, sneering. "Oh, I just love these exams…"

Both seniors shook their heads as Xu passed by Quentin, Zanya also moving out of the way, and stood at the other end of the table.

"I'll explain the current situation and the mission. Be seated!" All those that were still standing did so, Seifer watched as the brunette sat back down next to him, a grin on his face that she deliberately avoided noticing by not looking at him.

"Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament." Xu continued. "A request for SeeD was made 18 hours ago. Dollet has been under attack by the G-Army since about 72 hours ago." The screen behind her spun into life showing a detailed schematic of a city. "49 hours into the battle, Dollet abandoned their position in the inner city. Currently, they have retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops." She said indicating several places in the map as she spoke. "That's the current status."

She paused for a moment, looking attentively at each cadet's expression. She was pleased to see that even Seifer seemed to be paying attention. "Now onto the mission objective." She said focusing on the panel once more. "According to our reports, the G-Army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region. We're to make a landing at Lapin Beach. We're to eliminate the remaining G-Army within the city and liberate it A.S.A.P. Afterwards, SeeD members will intercept any G-Army forces trying to make their way into the city from the mountain region."

"So…" Seifer's voice cut her off. "… What are _WE_ supposed to do?" The other cadets focused back on the female SeeD, also interested in her response.

"SeeD candidates are to eliminate the G-Army inside the city."

Zanya straightened in her seat. "Sounds important!" She said excitedly.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, sneering at the blond girl. "Sounds boring." She looked back at him with an angry look. Switching his gaze back at the other woman, he continued. "So what you're saying is we do all the little, dirty work…"

Xu stared at him for a while with an emotionless expression. Silence stretched for a few moments before she continued. "Oh, it hardly needs to be said, but…" _Yeah._ Was left unsaid. She turned her gaze back at the rest of them as Seifer closed his eyes, smiling.

"The order to withdraw takes priority. Do not forget." She added looking at them, Seifer in particular. "We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark. Just be prepared. That's all. Any questions, talk to Quentin."

Both Zanya and the instructor stood up to allow her to exit, both SeeDs exchanging a look before the woman left the room.

Schala leaned back on the couch looking ahead. Her thoughts were verbalized be a slightly agitated Zanya.

"My first real battle…" She whispered, shaking with anticipation. "I'm getting pretty nervous."

"Better not piss in your pants, Scaredy-cat." Seifer said mockingly.

"Hah!?" She hadn't realized she said it out loud. "You talkin' to me?"

Seifer's response was evident as he started laughing right at the girl's face.

"… Bastard." She whispered, her anger growing as she started trembling, only making him laugh harder.

"Ok, enough talk." Once more Quentin's words didn't pass unnoticed and both youths ceased their hostile behavior. "We'll be landing soon. Get ready." He finished looking at all three of them.

Schala looked at him and nodded as Zanya, her anger apparently forgotten, let go a simple: "Roger."

Seifer shrugged. "Yeah, yeah…" He turned is gaze at the woman sitting next to him. "Well then, Leonhart. Go see what's going on outside." He said with a slight commanding tone. However the girl didn't move, she didn't even open her eyes. After a few seconds of silence he was about to add something when she suddenly uncrossed her legs, stood up and without a word headed outside.

"That' a girl. Do as your captain orders." He said as he followed her with his eyes till she was outta sight.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala climbed to the top of the vessel. The vehicle moved in formation with the others at an amazing speed constantly wiping her hair around. She pulled out a map, crossing references with the attack's schematics.

Raising her eyes she could already see the shores of Dollet at a distance. Explosions filled the skies and the grounds in a spectacle of light and sound. Folding the map back she turned back inside.

She opened the door to the cramped room and looked at his occupants.

"We're here." As she said it, the boat shook tremendously like it had just gone through a barrier, making the cadets hold the walls for support, trembling again once it landed back into the waters.

"Everyone, get ready!" Quentin yelled out as the ship's speed lowered signaling their arrival.

The cadets ran to the adjacent room just as the vessel came to an abrupt stop. The back opened giving them access to the beach. They all ran out and were amazed at the destruction they found. Bodies, explosions and so many fighting. Schala looked over and saw many cadets running for their positions as many SeeDs also gathered around.

Quentin's voice from inside the ship called her attention-

"Ok, you are to secure the Central Square!" He yelled over the background noise. "Stay sharp and good luck!"

"Let's move out." Seifer hailed them and they ran up the beach towards the access to the town.

Quentin saw as they headed to a flight of stairs. He sincerely wished them luck and that they would make it safely. A hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts and made him turn around. Xu smiled at him squeezing his shoulder in a reassuring way.

"Everything is going to be ok." She whispered as she leaned in, pecking him on the cheek. He smiled tenderly at her resisting the urge to hold her in his arms. She also had a mission to take on.

"You be safe too." He said smiling at her. "Don't make me come in after you." He added teasingly. She chuckled.

"Don't worry, honey." She said flashing her silver sais, flipping them in her hands expertly. Her eyes shone in a mildly devilish grin. "The whole of Galbadian army couldn't keep me away." She flashed a smile and ran of herself, leaving him with a thoughtful look as he re-entered the battle ship.

OOOOOOOOOO

The three of them ran up the stairs, the sound of battle from above already ringing in their ears. Once they reached the top they saw several cadets surrounded by Galbadian troops.

"They're Dollet reinforcements?" One of the soldiers asked his companions, as a group of five attacked one of the squads. Seifer and his team rushed to the fight but were cut off when a group of seven soldiers appeared in their way.

They drew their weapons, in Zanya's case she cracked her knuckles and all jumped in. The martial artist rushed at two soldiers avoiding their blades and kicking and punching them several times, standing between them. Schala and Seifer stood back to back and they were attacked by two each, both parrying their advances.

"This is fun, huh!" Seifer told her, tilting his head back. They pushed the soldiers back, at roughly the same time, each swung and hit one of them as they stepped back and rushed to the other. Schala had to duck to avoid his attack and in one fluid movement she ducked and whirled around, gaining momentum, and slashed the man catching his leg through his stomach, making him fall instantly. On the other hand, Seifer ran at the soldier, gunblade first and on the last moment pulled his arm back and slashed downwards across his chest, he moved so fast that the galbadian had no time to react and fell.

The cocking of a gun made both turn as the last soldier of the group nervously pointed his gun right at the captain's chest. He tilted his head and rested his gunblade in his shoulder, grinning at the man. The soldier had no time to understand that behavior as an air kick collided violently with his jaw making him twirl a good three times in the air before he fell unconscious on the hard ground.

Zanya landed steadily after her attack, raising her eyes to meet the other blonde's with a proud "You owe me one" look.

Seifer scoffed, but smiled. "Not half-bad, Scaredy-cat." He said as she approached. "But I had him right where I wanted him." He added before turning around.

She rolled her eyes as she saw him run off. "You're welcome…"

As they neared the other cadets they saw that the soldiers had already been dealt with. All of them lying unconscious or dead on the floor. Schala noticed the cheerful tall cadet from earlier that day sheathing a giant nunchaku on his back as he set down a strange looking consol on the ground with the help of another cadet with thick black hair and dark skin. The third member of his team, a slender girl with long dark blue hair stood up in front of them.

"Thanks for the help. We'll secure this area." She said, looking at her companions who nodded back at her. The brunette, noticing Schala, flashed her a smile before turning back to the device. "Comms are almost set." The other youth told her in a rasp strong voice. She nodded and Squad B resumed their trek to their designated area.

Further ahead of them, they saw a group of cadets entering the local pub and a lot of commotion coming from within. As they reached it, several galbadian soldiers burst out of the nearby buildings and alleys and headed to where the cadets had just entered and where it seemed they were fighting. They were trying to box them in.

Too bad for them, their plan backfired when they noticed three teenagers blocking their path, the two blond ones smirking as they readied themselves. Before anyone could realize what had happened, the three youths charged them, knocking half of them out in their initial attack alone.

Seifer and Zanya broke through their ranks, slicing, punching and kicking everyone they could reach. Schala was cut off from them when a group of about four soldiers surrounded her, probably thinking she was easy picking since she was the only (one that seemed to be a) girl in the group. Their determination faltered slightly when she raised her eyes to meet them, her cold stare making most of them shiver. Her grip on Revolver tightened as she almost smiled.

Zanya turned to notice Schala was nowhere to be seen. Frowning she glanced at Seifer as he cut clean through three soldiers. All those remaining from their onslaught, about a hand full of them, were running towards a small group that seemed to be surrounding someone. Her eyes widened.

"SCHALA!" Her scream reached Seifer's ears and he turned to see the blond chick's panicked face as she ran back at a group of their enemies. He frowned slightly, which quickly turned into a smirk as he heard the men's terrified screams. The martial artist stopped dead on her tracks when she heard the same screams.

The girl had whirled around with amazing speed, bringing her blade out slicing all around her from neck to waist. They screamed as they saw their companions being slaughtered in such a fluid motion and also because they could do nothing to avoid their own demise. The lifeless bodies were thrown back, much to the surprise of the remaining troops and Zanya, blood springing outta them as they fell forming a circle around her. She raised her eyes and saw their companions horrified faces as they hesitated.

So she took the initiative. She advanced at the first, that being stunned did nothing to prevent her attack and stabbed her blade through him. Sensing more approaching, she twisted her weapon, still lodged in the man's chest, gaining more screams, and pulled it to the side, almost cutting him in half, as she swung at the second that came at her. She missed his body by millimeters but hit the blade he was swinging at her, deflecting his attack. Her knee rose up, connecting hard with his stomach and as he bent in pain she elbowed him at the back of his neck, knocking him out. She turned again, her left hand already aflame sending fire spells at two other soldiers setting them ablaze. Their horrifying screams filling the air.

She stood there, breathing a bit harder, drips of her enemies' blood running down her face. Then she raised her eyes to the only one still standing. He was shaking like jelly, slowly stepping back, his face distorted in horror and fear. "A… a… demon." He screeched before turning and starting to run away rather clumsily. He didn't get far, however, before a thunder spell hit him, halting him permanently.

She straightened up, cleaning her face with the back of her sleeve as Seifer passed by a still frozen Zanya. Her eyes were wide in shock as she turned to him. He smiled as he glanced sideways at her.

"She has that effect on most men." He stated matter of fact, referring to the screaming and the running. He continued his way towards her. Looking around, he shook his head at the sight. "You made quite a mess, Leonhart." He said looking at her, her annoyed eyes looking back. "I sure am glad I don't have to clean this up." He smirked.

"Look out, it's SeeD!" The shout caught their attention and they looked up at a catwalk over their heads. Two galbadian soldiers had come out the pub's access, probably escaping from the other cadets. One of them seemed mildly disoriented. "Where the hell is the back up?"

"I don't think they'll be coming." An amused voice from beneath them sounded. Looking under their path, they gasped in horror at the sight of the three teenagers standing in the middle of numerous bodies of their fallen compatriots. They were about to make a run for it, the youths bellow readying themselves in case they jumped down. But they never got the chance.

"THUNDER!" The yell came from the access above as the high voltage hit one of the soldiers making him fall limp on the ground as someone ran on the walkway stabbing a long spear clean through the other one. The dark haired young man dislodged the body from his weapon and then looked down. Wrinkling his nose, he focused on the responsible for the massacre and cringed ever so slightly. _Only those two could have done something like this._

"Nida!?" The voice came out from the pub, as the battle sounds inside died down. "All clear!" He yelled back, sparing one last look at the other cadets as they were already on the move, and resumed his lookout post.

Reaching further on, after a corner their objective became visible.

"The Central Square is up ahead." Seifer noted, stopping for a sec. he stretched, swinging his blade in front of him. "HEY! All you Galbadian cowards out there! Come out'n show your faces! Don't leave me hangin' now!" He shouted before running off.

"Now that was stealthily…" Schala sighed.

".. What an idiot." Zanya stated, both girls picking up their pace to catch up with their leader.

They reach the plaza and looked around for any trace of soldiers. There didn't appear to be anyone on sight.

"Seems like no one's here." The blond girl said, starting towards the fountain in the middle of the Square.

However, the other two cadets didn't relax one bit, both tightening their grips on each' gunblade.

"Don't be so sure, Scaredy-cat." Seifer said, making her stop and turn, glaring at him for his choice of words. But it didn't seem to be an act of provocation, like he'd done before, since he wasn't even looking at her. Instead she noticed both of them tense in anticipation of battle and she felt herself tense as well.

Following an unseen sign, dozens of soldiers burst out of every building, alley and any and all hiding place around them. They were quickly surrounded.

"Party's just getting started!"

Most of the galbadians charged at them, blades and guns at the ready. Zanya looked sideways and received a nod from the other girl. Smirking, the martial artist ran at her opponents but before they collided, she jumped over them, supporting her hands and feet on their heads and successfully escaped their trap. Many soldiers broke ranks and started chasing her down. Running around, she was able to isolate the fastest from the slowest and swiftly dispose of them in turns. Tricking them, she was starting to thin their numbers from behind their front.

Meanwhile, in the centre, both gunbladers were once again back to back keeping their ground and killing anyone that got too close. The soldiers kept their distance after the first wave got completely slaughtered, regrouping and devising a plan.

"It's time to take the offensive." Seifer whispered back at her as their backs touched. At that moment a smile played in his lips. He smirked. "By the way, Leonhart…" She turned her head slightly at him, catching him in the corner of her eye. "… uniform looks good on ya." She could hear the mocking in his tone and just stared forward back at their opponents. But her attention would soon be once again diverted.

His right hand had a firm grip on Hyperion as his left hand moved backwards resting on her right thigh. She trembled slightly at his touch. His smile widened as he started to caress it, feeling her tense up considerably as he moved higher, slowly hiking up her skirt.

The galbadians directly in front of her shivered, as she raised her gaze. It didn't even seem like she was looking at them, but her eyes… her dark blue eyes seemed to be holding a thunderstorm, they could almost see sparks in them.

Then, she snapped. She pulled her blade up, throwing her elbow back, which would have hit the blonde's head had he not anticipated it and ducked, and charged at the soldiers. Stunned at first, they too advanced at them. Both charged and swung their weapons hitting anything that got in their way. But the galbadians were still too many and they were gradually pushed back against each other.

As soon as their backs met again, it started.

Both turned, Revolver parrying an attack directed at his head as Hyperion deflected another aiming for her side. Then, he swung around high as she ducked, going around him, swinging low, both catching several soldiers. They stood again Seifer quickly stepping to the side as Schala stabbed her blade on an approaching soldier and he slashed down another that was going for her blind spot. They continued fighting like that, each one covering the other in a deadly dance.

Zanya was also having a busy time. The number of soldiers, both forming the "arena" around the other two and those scattered around the square, were considerably diminishing. She hopped onto the fountain to gain higher ground over a group of three soldiers. Taking somewhat of a breather, she looked over the biggest group to see how her companions were doing. What she saw almost made her fall off the fountain.

For a moment, all she saw were two blades, one silver one black, swinging madly around. On closer inspection she realized Seifer and Schala were moving like they shared a mind. Without exchanging a word, they combined attacks, moved out of the way for the other to strike while always be mindful of the other's situation, constantly stepping up to protect one another. It was like a perfectly rehearsed dance.

She was positively stunned, she'd never seen anything like that. One would have to intimately know the other's fighting style to be able to do that. Then it hit her, they were always fighting each other ever since they were children, and so they perfected their art together. For one moment, she envied them. To have a rival that would push your skills to the limit like that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as some scattered soldiers made a fix on her location, shooting at her. She took cover behind the fountain, readying a few spells that immediately hit all the soldiers. Looking around once more she noticed that the soldiers were reduced to little over a hand full of them. So, she jumped outta the fountain and gave chase to the few who were trying to run away.

Back at the other two, there were only a few enemies left. Those came at them in one last desperate attempt to kill them. Their next actions were identical, like looking at a mirror. Parry. Knock back. Swing and stab. Then, they both turned and swung. Their gunblades colliding loudly while their eyes locked on each other. They kept struggling, both trying to gain the upper hand and none giving an inch.

"I think that's all of them." The female voice made them loose eye contact. Both turned their heads to see the blonde girl walking casually towards them, looking around at the piles of bodies all around. "Tch, maybe it was a bit too much… Hey! What are you two doing?" She shouted, surprised, when she saw their weapons crossed. She rolled her eyes. "I don't think this is the right time for that… wait till we get back before you kill each other, will ya?"

They straightened up, looking at each other. _I guess that in the heat of battle we got a bit carried away._

"Was that all?" Seifer said breaking the silence as the two girls relaxed a bit.

Zanya's eyes widened. "What do you mean: _Was that all?_ It seemed like the whole galbadian army fell on us!!"

"Tch, they wouldn't be much of an army if that was all they got." He answered, mocking her. She started trembling in rage. "That was a good warm up, though." He said as he stretched, cracking several muscles.

"Warm up?" She screeched. "Pu-lease…" She sighed out.

"Well then, we're on standby 'till the enemy comes." His eyes narrowed. "Standby… how borring…"

OOOOOOOOOO

In the mountain region surrounding Dollet, a group of SeeDs was approaching what seemed to be a G-Army camp site. The head of the group, a slender woman with short dark hair motioned her companions to halt, then signaled two of them to round up the camp as she took the remaining two the other way around.

Inside the camp there was suddenly a lot of commotion. A low rank soldier burst through the captain's quarters, stopping momentarily to catch his breath.

"This better be important!" His harsh tone made the young man stand immediately in attention.

"Sir, most of our troops within the city have been wiped out!" The captain's expression hardened, but he allowed him to continue. "The last reports received say that several SeeDs have disembarked on the beach and have succeeded in liberating the city!"

"And the Communication tower?" He asked.

"It is still secure, Sir!"

"Has Major Biggs finished the repairs?"

"Not yet, Sir! Last report says it will still take at least half an hour."

"Very well, contact the remaining soldiers and tell them to head for that area immediately. We can't afford to lose that position before the repairs are completed."

"YES, SIR!" The soldier said, exiting the room. He hurried to the communication tent and carried out his orders.

That message would be the last to be sent. Xu used the reflection of the sun on her sais to confirm they were at their positions, and receiving confirmation from the second group, she gave the "GO" order and they started their attack on the camp. Several well positioned explosions blew up most of the facilities as the SeeDs stormed the camp.

OOOOOOOOOO

A loud noise was heard at a distance and the three cadets turned to face it. They could see smoke coming from the mountains.

"Looks like it's starting." Schala said.

"Bring it on." Seifer replied, slamming his right fist in his left palm.

Out of a nearby alley a stray dog carefully approached the blond young man, sniffing around him. Seifer's temper snapped and he kicked the dog away, yelling. "Get outta here! Scram!"

The dog whimpered away with his tail between his legs as the youth ran to the other side of the fountain and shouted to the distance.

"Hey! Galbadian Soldiers!" He continued, drawing his gunblade and waving it around. "What are you waiting for?! Come show me what you got!"

His response came as a long silence. Zanya rolled her eyes, sitting at the rim of the fountain and Schala leaned against the wall. Seifer let go a long sigh before turning and rejoining the girls on the other side of the fountain.

About twenty minutes passed and his patience was wearing thin.

"Still keeping us waiting…?" He was now pacing around and suddenly stopped, both girls raised their eyes at him. "That's it…! I can't take it anymore!" He turned to face the others, raising his arms in frustration. "What is this, some kind of dog training!?"

As if on queue, the same stray dog ran out of his hiding spot to the other edge of the Square. The cadets' eyes followed his movements as he howled at something down the street. The dog then ran off again and they could hear the sound of heavy steps coming their way.

"More soldiers." The blonde martial artist whispered.

"Let's see what they're up to. Take cover!" The squad leader ordered. Zanya ducked down using some debris as cover as the other two took positions on opposite sides of the street, using the buildings to hide themselves.

Just as they did so, a galbadian scout came out. Not noticing the three of them, he signaled down the street and several soldiers crossed the Square heading, thankfully, to the opposite direction. They saw as the many soldiers ran out. With one last look around the square, the scout followed his companions out.

"Where the hell they goin'?" Zanya asked, slightly confused as it seemed they were heading out of town. All the cadets looked up over the direction the troops followed and noticed some sort of tower on top of a mountain.

"Hey? What is that up there?" She thought out loud, narrowing her eyes in a vain attempt to make out some detail.

"Our next destination." Seifer stated, smirking wide in the perspective of more action.

Her head shot back at him, her eyes widened. "But that's against orders!"

"Weren't you just saying how bored you were?" He said like it explained everything. They were bored. So nothing better than fighting more soldiers to bring them more upbeat.

The martial artist gaped in horror and turned to the brunette girl next to her. If there was someone sane enough around, not to mention that since she didn't like him there was no way she'd agree. "Schala!"_Knock some sense into him!_

The girl raised her eyes and, avoiding his gaze she turned to her. "I stand by the captain's decision."

She was speechless, her jaw hanging like in a cartoon and her eyes as wide as saucers.

"… Captain's decision?" He said, raising his eyebrow. She was still avoiding his gaze as he approached. "You want to wreak some havoc too, don't you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her actions.

She still hadn't looked at him, locking her gaze at the tall structure ahead. "It's a good opportunity to test out my training." She turned her head at him and their eyes met. Sea green showed interest and curiosity as her stormy blue reflected annoyance and determination. "Besides, thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone." Her eyes narrowed. "Even if they fight dirty, like you."

He smirked wider, something clicking inside of him as he started stepping closer to her again.

"What the hell… I thought you two didn't get along?" Zanya spilled out in shock. "You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen." She continued, now in a serious tone, almost begging them to listen to her. "This ain't no ordinary battle. It's an exam, an important one. I'm tellin' ya, we have to stick to orders."

"Then you stay here." He spat out at her, never looking away from the other girl as she narrowed her eyes, disliking that he was getting too close. "I don't need any boy scouts."

Her angry reply was ignored by the other two when Seifer stopped just as few steps from her, but definitely too close for her comfort.

"You stand by my orders… any order?" He asked, looking at her with a penetrating gaze full of emotion. Emotion she wasn't very keen to. She could tell his mind had wandered off the upcoming battle on to unwanted thoughts, at least unwanted by her.

The lust in his eyes only intensified as he looked at her irate ones. He found her irritation, her anger extremely attractive and it made him want her even more. His eyes lowered at her full, desirable lips and he just wanted to take them, own them. To sink in the tenderness he knew was inside her, that he remembered…

"Get a room…" Her whisper came out loud enough for them to hear and to break the moment. The brunette's head shot to the side, sending the other girl a viciously deadly glare that almost made her fall into the fountain. The blonde just hanged his head, cursing inward at the effect that girl had on him.

Schala was actually somewhat thankful for the interruption, though scowled at the choice of words. Trying to put that incident behind her, way behind her, she promptly changed the subject.

"Seifer…" She started, looking back at him. The moment lost, he looked back at her with his usual expression. "… if we're gonna go, let's hurry."

He looked back at her, his feelings returning but he kept a tight leash on them. He nodded, his trademark smirk adorning his features. "The enemy is headed for that facility. We, Squad B, are to secure the summit. Move out!" He ordered as he started chasing after the soldiers.

Schala only nodded back as she followed suit, Zanya murmuring a low "Fine" before running after them.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hey there! One more chapter especially for YOU! Hope you liked it XD._

_Now, this one has some action: Lots of battles, and other types of action… And on the latter, I have only two words to add, two words that explain everything… __Teenage hormones__… I hope that makes the situation perfectly clear ;P._

_Anyway, I just want to thank you all, once again, for your support (even if unspoken). Especially my loyal reviewers, you three brighten my days with your words ____. And on a special note… Thank you CelestialRage! And here goes a (late) birthday present!! winks_

_Read ya later_

_Revir _


	6. Chapter 6: Straying Off The Path

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Final Fantasy 8… it's probably best, though…_

**Chapter 6 – Straying Off The Path**

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**

Back on the beach, a slightly concerned Quentin looked up to a distant cloud of smoke. It had filled the skies for a good half an hour and he was pretty sure it had been Xu's doing. She always liked to start with a Bang.

He gained a light smile as memories started flooding his mind but was soon brought back to the present as he noticed a group of SeeDs crossing the beach. Their relaxed pace calmed him, but only when he saw the dark haired woman did he truly allowed himself to feel at ease.

They talked among themselves for a while. Then Xu accompanied by two other SeeDs, a tall young man with short white hair and a big sword on his back, and a thin, short woman with long fiery red hair in a high ponytail, a couple of handguns on each hip and a big bazooka like weapon on her back, approached his position.

He smiled at them all, fixing his eyes on the dark haired woman. "Welcome back." He said calmly. "It went well, I presume." His eyes turned to the short woman as she laughed with a high shrieking voice.

"You can say that! Though I guarantee you, I'm never letting Xu anywhere near my weapons again!" She said, her tone coming down a notch, as she slightly elbowed the woman in the back. The white haired man just smiled.

The blonde instructor raised an eyebrow in her direction, but the short haired woman avoided his gaze, blushing slightly. And trying to change the subject, she hopped onto the vessel, next to Quentin, and turned to the other two.

"The mission was a success." The other two kept laughing in a low tone but she ignored them and continued. "We disposed of the main G-Army camp in the mountains and the cadets were successful in eliminating the forces inside." She noticed Quentin's apprehensive expression. "As far as we know, there are no casualties or major injuries among them." He smiled as her words reassured him greatly.

"Oh, and we got word that the Galbadian Army has contacted the Dukedom for truce conversations." The red-headed woman added. "Good news, huh?"

"Yes, Maki. Great news." Quentin turned back at the leader of the mission. "And now?"

Xu breathed deep, thinking then raised her eyes to meet the others. "We sound the withdraw. The G-Army has guaranteed they won't invade the city with new troops. Negotiations should take place around 2000 hours."

Maki stood straight. "Very well. Ahmm… Squad A is the designated messenger team if I'm not mistaken. I shall send a message for them to start warning the other teams immediately!"

"Yes." Xu nodded. "Withdraw order takes place at 1900 hours. All teams should be at their vessels by that time." She added in her commanding tone. The two SeeDs on the beach nodded and saluted before heading out.

"This went down smoothly." She told him, turning and looking him in the eyes.

"I surely hope so." He said, a bit hesitant to share her optimism. If there was something he had learned from two particular students, is that the unexpected has a tendency to happen.

OOOOOOOOOO

The cadets continued their path following the soldier's tracks. They passed by a sturdy rock bridge and could see the mountains ahead. The strange tower was still visible as they kept moving.

Just across the bridge the stone path had several flights of stairs leading up, presumably to the tower. As they approached the first one, a Dollet soldier crawled out of some bushes and they halted immediately. Seeing them, the soldier cowered as he tried reaching for his weapon in vain.

"Ahhh! W-W-Who are you!?" He asked in panic after realizing he was too week to defend himself.

"Don't worry." Schala said as she walked towards the man. "We're SeeD candidates. We've been dispatched by Garden."

Though those words were meant for reassurance, her emotionless tone along with her cold expression and steady walk did little to calm the man.

Seifer suppressed a chuckle at his reaction, but approached him, asking. "So what's going on up there?"

The soldier turned to the other teenager. Seeing the other two more relaxed poses and the girl kneeling beside him tending to his injuries, he decided to confide in them. "The Galbadian soldiers have entered the Communication Tower. On top of that…" He added attempting to turn to point up at the top of the mountain. The girl frowned, motioning him to stay still. "… that place has always been a nesting ground for monsters. If you three are goin' up, be caref… H-HELP!!"

Out of the bushes, a green and brown tail burst out, wrapping itself on the man's chest, pulling him in as he kept screaming at the top of his lungs. They saw an Anacondaur on its way to feast on him. Schala turned to the side and before she said anything, Seifer was already rushing to the monster, gunblade in hand, and in one swift strike he cut down its tail, freeing its prisoner.

The brunette hurried to the injured man. Noticing it was bigger the scare then the hurt at that point, she cast a cure on him and turned, unsheathing Revolver and readying to enter the battle. She saw that Zanya was already pounding on the confused monster and that two other had slithered out of the bushes on the side of the road.

"SEIFER!" She shouted, tearing his attention from the first snake to the two new opponents, as she cast a blizzard spell over the one that was getting too close to the blond martial artist. Seifer rushed to the frozen beast as Schala charged at the other one.

Zanya kept hitting the thing, punching and kicking the tailless monster that had no way to defend itself. It tried to bite the girl several times, but her foot hit its mouth sideways every time, deflecting the attack. Her powerful attacks continued over its head and body, and soon the large creature laid motionless on the floor.

Seifer was already attacking the other Anacondaur. The serpent, considerably slowed down by the freezing spell, was too debilitated to evade the blonde's strikes as he made several deep cuts throughout the extent of its body. It still tried to throw him off by launching a fire ball at him, but he easily deflected it and moved in for the kill. The monster cried out in pain one last time just as Hyperion lodged on its skull and it didn't move again.

The third monster, sensing her use of magic, charged at the brunette. The girl rolled to the side, avoiding its attack and throwing a thunder spell at it. The stunned beast trashed around, slightly confused, almost hitting her with its tail. Focusing her attention on the tail's movements, she was able to anticipate them and stabbed her blade through it, fixing it to the ground. The snake, caught in the momentum, lost its balance and fell to the ground. Turning her blade, still on the monster body, she advanced. Pulling the weapon slightly so that it was no longer trapped on the rocky floor, she started running its body extent, cutting all the way through. She pulled her gunblade up at the last second, as the snake raised its head at her, slicing the monster in two.

The cadets looked onto each other, checking if everyone was ok. Schala returned to check on the Dollet soldier as Zanya squatted down near one of the fallen beasts.

"Tch, monsters…" She sighed out as she poked the thing. "What a pain…"

"More fun for us." The other blonde added, gaining a roll of eyes from the martial artist, while removing his blood soaked gunblade from his victim. "Come on." He motioned them just as Schala approached, seemingly satisfied with the other man's condition. And they continued to climb to the top.

OOOOOOOOOO

A tall brunette young man had finally reached the Central Square. He looked around as if looking for something, but the area seemed deserted. He took a few steps forward, still looking from side to side.

_Maybe they're hiding._ Satisfied with his reasoning, he nodded to himself and breathed in.

"HELLO!! I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR SQUAD B!!" He yelled out at the empty streets. A cold breeze blew past him as a deep silence filled the square entirely.

_Hmm… Maybe they're not here after all. Hah…! _He suddenly remembered something from just a few minutes ago…

«Flashback»

He was just exiting the local pub, after delivering his message to Squad C's leader, accompanied by a dark haired member of that team. Outside he breathed in.

"Only one more to go. Squad B should be just up ahead, in the Central Square." He said more to himself than to the young man beside him.

Nida's eyebrow rose upon hearing those words. "Squad B… that's Seifer's team, right?" He inquired.

The brunette looked at him then removed a small notebook from his jacket pocket, reading his notes. "Hmm… yeah! Seifer is the squad leader's name." He said but when he looked back at the other teenager he had a solemn expression. "What?" He asked, confused.

Realizing his actions, Nida immediately returned to his usual manner. But it was too late and the brunette's stare demanded an answer. He sighed. "Well… Seifer is… nevermind." He shook his head ending the matter and started to go back inside.

The taller boy frowned but shrugged deciding there were more important things to worry about at the moment. He started going up the street when a shout made him stop and turn.

"HEY!" Nida yelled out with one foot already inside the building. Sure he had the other one's attention, he continued. "If by any chance they're not there…"

"Why shouldn't they be?" He cut him off. "It's their orders right? They have to stay there."

"… Right… But if they're not…" Nida paused for a second, as to over dramatize his words. "Follow the screams."

«End Of Flashback»

"Follow the screams… yeah, right" He said, rolling his eyes at the memory.

"HELP!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" A loud scream was suddenly heard at a distance.

The boy's head shot over at its direction. It seemed to come from just outside town, near the mountain's base.

A new cold breeze ran through him almost making him shiver. He looked over at the path he had to follow to reach the origin of the scream, it seemed to be leading outta town. He breathed in a new wave of determination, checked his junctions and his magic stores, just in case. He also verified his nunchaku was tightly strapped on his back before he started jogging toward the mountain.

OOOOOOOOOO

Squad B kept running up the mountain, only founding some pesky Geezards that went down with one hit.

Upon reaching the summit, they noticed the road circled around and descended for the entrance of the tower. A few soldiers patrolled the area and they had to duck down to avoid detection. They could hear some of them talking and approached the ledge, slowly and silently. Taking advantage of their higher ground and several rock formations that gave them cover, they were able to get close enough to be able to understand what was being said.

"The generator is up and running!" One of them reported.

"No problem with the boosters!" Another said.

Seifer shifted in his spot, whispering. "… the hell they doing?" Schala saw Zanya shrugging and focused her eyes back at the soldiers.

"Cable disconnection confirmed! Beginning exchange process!"

"Roger." The second soldier responded, saluting.

"Repairs…?" The brunette whispered back, and the soldiers returned to inside the building.

The cadets rose from their hiding spots and the two girls exchanged confused looks. _Why would they want to repair the tower? _ Crossed both their minds.

"Who cares." Seifer said simply, turning at them. Both girls looked back, Zanya shrugging, indeed it was no concern of theirs. They shouldn't be there to begin with, anyways.

Seifer got nearer to the cliff, where Schala was. "This must be your first real battle." He said with his trademark smirk. She narrowed her eyes in a warning. "You scared?"

Truth be told, she hadn't thought about it. Sure there was some fear, of failing, of dying. She just didn't want to talk about it so, as before, she switched the target of his question.

"Are you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side as she crossed her hands under her chest.

He smiled, looking back at the entrance of the tower. "I love battles. I fear nothing." He turned, locking his sparkling sea green eyes on her cold stormy blue. "The way I see it, as long as you make it out of a battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."

"Dream!?" She said, confusion evident in her narrowed eyes.

"You have one too, don't you?" He inquired, stepping closer to her.

She lowered her eyes in thought. _My dream…_ She didn't have one. At least she didn't think so. She wanted to become a SeeD. To be able to take care of herself, not depend on anyone and just be left alone by everyone else. Was that her dream? Was that really what she yearned for the most?

Seifer noticed her troubled look and was barely able to suppress a chuckle, imagining her internal battle. He stepped closer. He wanted to tell her his dream, but he was also fearsome of how she'd react. _Seifer Almasy, afraid! What a laugh._ He thought hanging his head back. His gaze fell on her again. His arms began to twitch and move forward like they had a mind of their own.

"Hey! Let me in on it, too!" Zanya almost screamed in his ear as she jumped in between them, arching an arm around each of them breaking their line of thought.

"Mind your own business." He spat at her, shoving her aside.

She let go of them both as she was forced to step back. She narrowed her eyes, anger boiling at the fact that he always cut her off the good stuff. Closing her fists, she advance at him and started trying to punch and kick him.

"Frickin' hell…" She cursed as she wasn't able to land a blow.

Seifer was smirking mockingly at her, his high agility and speed allowing him to dodge and evade her strikes. "What's the matter, Zanya? Swatting flies?" He teased her, but at the same time, he was slightly grateful. Had she not interrupted, Hyne knew what he might have done or said.

He raised his eyes at the brunette just as she rolled her eyes at their behavior. She was now leaning against the rocks, her face was once again untroubled but he could tell she still remembered his words. He started to walk away from them, back on the road, the martial artist having already given up on trying to hit him.

"I'll be going then. Don't take too long or there won't be anything left for you two." And he started to run down the steps towards the tower.

"Damn you…!" Zanya's whole frame was trembling in irritation. Schala was pretty sure she must've been killing him ten different ways in her head.

She leaned off the wall and started walking away too, when a slightly familiar voice reached her ears.

"There you are!" Both girls looked up to a pile of loose rocks, and they saw a tuff of brown hair emerging from behind it.

Soon a tall young man was visible, attempting to climb the small hill. He clumsily stood at the top of the rocks with a very accomplished expression, and proceeded to descend it. His first step landed on some loose rocks and he slid down, rolling along with the dislodged stones, landing backwards on the hard ground. He grumbled in pain as he sat on the floor. Then, he hanged his head back looking at the two girls upside down, in a manner that seemed extremely familiar to the other brunette, he flashed them a smile.

"Hi!" He greeted them.

"Are ok?" Zanya asked.

The boy smiled then promptly jumped to his feet, making the blonde girl actually jump back, almost falling down the cliff. The girl couldn't control herself and stared at him for a while. _Such innocent feature in someone so tall…_

"Oh, I'm just peachy." He said, smiling, as he proceeded to dusting his uniform.

He raised his eyes at them. "Are you Squad B?" He asked, focusing on them as they nodded. First, he noticed there were only two cadets there, one was missing. Second he noticed… "Wait a minute…" He stared at Schala's face and his smile widened. "You're that girl who showed me around, right!?" She nodded her yes, gaining a confused look from the other girl. "Thanks! I don't get so lost anymore. Oh, yeah!" He slammed his hand to his forehead. "How silly of me. My name's Sorphan Tilmitt, from Squad A." He finished, smiling and waited for them to introduce themselves as well.

"I'm Zanya Dincht." She said on reflex. The boy turned and shook her hand, that she didn't even remember offering, quite vigorously.

"Schala Leonhart." The other girl said. To that, he only smiled and nodded, feeling that unwanted physical contact wasn't a very good idea.

"Nice to meet ya! Say, the squad captain's a guy named Seifer right? Where is he?" He inquired since he had already noticed there was no one else around.

They suddenly heard footsteps at a distance and turned in the direction of the tower's entrance in time to see the blonde teenager running towards it. He stopped and looked up on the cliff, fixing his eyes on the brunette girl.

"One of these days, I'm gonna tell ya 'bout my ROMANTIC dream!" He shouted out at them, more specifically, at her, before he entered the Com Tower.

At this point, it seemed obvious to Sorphan, considering that he had already seen those three together just outside the beach, that he was Seifer… and that he'd have to go after him. He sighed then breathed deep. Determination was pouring out of him in waves.

"A messenger's gotta do, what a messenger's gotta do…" He gained a weird look from Zanya before nearing the edge. "Captain! Wait up!!"

And he jumped, much to the horrified blond girl. He landed on a rock salience half way down then slid the rest of the way, staggering but managing not to fall. He walked back into view of the two girls and waved at them.

"What are you waiting for!? Come on! Come on!" He yelled out, motioning them to hurry up.

Schala also stared at the boy for a while before nearing the edge herself. The other girl gapped when she saw that.

"Schala…" The girl didn't turn, instead stepped closer seeing the side of the cliff. "You're not gonna… It's a cliff, girl… You're not gonna jump off… Are you…?" She stuttered incoherently looking at her, at the cliff and back at her again.

She saw her grinning and that scared her. She had never seen her grin before, and her whole expression just made her feel extremely uneasy. And then, Schala jumped off. The brunette landed on a small salience just beneath the edge, then she let herself drop to another, then another till she was just a couple of meters of the ground then she jumped down, landing steadily.

The other brunette was clapping excitedly at her athletic prowess. He flashed his opened hands at her, as she approached. "Woohoo!! Perfect, a ten point oh score!" He said, winking. He then looked up to the still stunned blond girl, waving his arms. "Come on, Zanya!"

"You can't be serious!?" She gulped loudly as she neared the ledge. She looked down trying to place the rocks the other two had used to descend safely and after noticing a few she took a deep breath. _Well if they could do it… _She leaped. "Geronimooooooooo!!"

Both brunettes saw her fly off the cliff and they both cringed as they saw she had jumped too far. She missed the first rock she was aiming for and fell, helplessly, the good six meters down. Had it not been for her junctions, the girl could have ended up severely injured. She stirred, face down on her landing spot groaning in discomfort.

"Nice landing." She heard the other girl say, her tone seemed almost amused.

She felt someone approaching her position. "I give ya a four point eight, for effort." The other brunette said, gently tapping her on the back.

She raised her dusty face at him in a scowl, to which he shyly smiled as he helped her up. She stood up and looked to the building in front of them.

"So this is the Communication Tower." She said, staring up and not able to see the top.

"Sure is big…" Sorphan replied.

As they neared the heavy blast doors they could hear screams coming from within. Seconds later the doors burst open, two Galbadian soldiers running for dear life while being chased by a very entertained Seifer waving his bloodied gunblade around. At that point, Sorphan finally understood what that Nida guy meant by his warning. He stopped just before exiting, noticing the girl to his left.

"Bunch of cowards." He told her, completely ignoring the other two.

"HEEEYY!" Sorphan cried out, but he paid him no mind, returning to the inside after one last look at the brunette girl.

The boy rushed to the entrance, looking back at the girls. "The captain is getting away!" and they all ran in.

The ground floor of the facility was wide, circular and empty except for a pillar on the center. As they scanned the area for exits, a lift descended from the top floors.

"He's not here." Zanya sighed. _That guy can't keep still for long, can he…?_

"Maybe he went up…" Schala stated calmly, heading for the small elevator.

"Hmm… maybe. Let's check it out!" Sorphan said and all of them got on the lift. He found a mechanism on the side, and pressing the button the platform began to rise.

"This is kinda cool!" Sorphan exclaimed excitedly.

"Watch it or you'll fall down." Zanya pointed out mockingly.

The boy turned at her with a scowl, only with his face it made the cutest effect. "As if I would…"

OOOOOOOOOO

On a circular platform near the top of the tower there were two Galbadian soldiers. The one in the red uniform seemed to be working on a circuit board on the wall as the one in the blue one was patrolling around the platform.

The one in blue, a lower officer, approached his senior by the tenth time in the last half an hour. "Major Biggs! There has been a report of a monster-shaped shadow on top of the tower." He reported. Noticing he hadn't paid attention he took a few steps closer to him. "Major Biggs!?"

"Be quiet! I'm busy!" Major Biggs yelled at the man, who promptly stepped back in response. The Major continued his work on the circuitry. "This goes like this… and… Geez, what's with these crappy old tools?" He yelled throwing a few parts over his shoulder, resisting the urge to just hit the damn thing. "And… and … Why do I have to make all the repairs!? AAHHH!!" He threw his hand back when a wrong connection almost electrocuted him. Then, he did kick the thing, lightly.

The younger man stood in attention. "Sir, I'll check around while the repairs are being done." He told him and then sighed as the major was completely ignoring him. He just shrugged it off and walked away.

Biggs continued repairing the circuits, while thinking out loud, when the elevator reached his floor.

"Let's see… Hmmm… Put this here… and…"

The three teenagers exited the elevator. Looking around they immediately noticed the man in the red uniform working on the panel, apparently unaware of their presence. They approached him just as it seemed he was finishing them.

"This goes here… and… There, it's complete!"

At that exact moment the whole platform started to shake, slightly at first then strongly as some internal machinery jumped into activity. They turned as the whole frame behind them shook and a massive piece of machinery rose well above their heads. The device shifted and opened turning into a gigantic satellite dish. The antenna shone as it activated.

The cadets looked at each other, none of them quite understanding what was going on. They turned to the, very pleased, soldier.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Schala inquired, her cold tone betraying a bit of curiosity.

"Huhhh?" The man let out as he turned. At first glance he just thought they were some town punks that had snuck in. "Likewise, LADY! What do you think you're doing!?" He then remembered that the ground floor was heavily guarded, having been reinforced with extra patrols till the repairs were done. "H-HEY! What happened to all the soldiers down bellow!?"

To that Sorphan displayed an evil grin. His soft features only served to enhance the feeling of dread in the older man. "WEDGE! Take care of these twerps!!"

The three of them raised their brows in surprise. So there were others up there. The major looked around. _Where the hell did he go? _"W… Wedge?"_ Could these kids have disposed of him as well? _He gulped. They weren't ordinary kids, that's for sure.

He started stepping sideways slowly towards the lift that had activated again. "I… ah… Well… ah… I seem to be done here, so I'll just be on my… I-I'm leaving…" He broke for a run. "Move! Move! Move!"

None of them had time to react as, rising with the elevator was a blonde teen with a long light-gray trenchcoat. He swung his blade catching the man's arms making him drop the small remote he was holding and step backwards in surprise.

"Sorry to crash the party." He said calmly, turning to the others.

"Ah… AHH… AHHHHH! Are you CRAZY!!" He yelled out, still spooked from the young man's appearance and attitude.

"Just shut UP!" He spat back, smirking.

Biggs' nerves began to rise. _Kids these days…_ He pulled out his heavy machine gun from his back and aimed it at them.

"Prepare for the worst, you brats!" And he pulled the trigger.

Each one of them jumped to the side, seeking cover as the rounds were fired. The soldier kept shooting, blowing chunks of the metal plating they were using for protection. After a while, he must've run outta ammo and stopped.

On queue, the two gunbladers rushed out of hiding and charged at him. His eyes widened and he brought his weapon up in time to parry their combined attack. Their strength was too much for him to handle, and he fell back, thankfully still alive. Seifer stepped on his wielding arm, keeping it down as he pointed his blade at his throat.

"Now…"

"MAJOR BIGGS!" The soldier in blue uniform form earlier reappeared, holding a saber as he rushed from the opposite direction. "What is the enemy doing here!?" He cried out with a slight tone of panic. At least they'd arrive after the repairs were finished, since he felt the tower shake earlier and the satellite dish was in place.

"WEDGE!" Biggs yelled from his spot on the ground. "Where were you!? No pay for you this month!"

The soldier staggered visibly. "… Should've stayed home!" He whimpered.

Seifer was pretty amused at that, so much he weakened his hold on the other man. That one managed to get free, tripping the blonde, and reloading the gun. He raised it to blow the blonde's head off but just as he pressed the trigger a silver blade forced his aim to miss, the brunette girl standing in his way.

He hurried to his feet, firing at the two as he did. Seifer was still getting up, so Schala stood in front of him, gunblade in hand. She brought her other hand up and just as his bullets neared them, they were stopped by the protect spell she raised. He hid behind the panel and circled around it, the two teens hot on his heels.

Meanwhile, Wedge had charged at the other two. Sorphan brought his weapon up and parried his strike with the chain of his nuchaku. He twisted his arms around, wrapping the chain around the blade, forcing it down while Zanya jumped over at the soldier. She punched and kicked him hard, throwing him a couple of meters back. He rose slowly casting a cure on himself. Raising his eyes he saw the two kids running at him. He cast a fire spell, the blonde rolling out of the way as the brunette shielded himself behind a shell barrier. Both ran on opposite directions, coming at him from both sides. Wedge rushed forward sending spells to his back hoping to hit something but only slowing them down as they dodged them.

Biggs was running from the other side of the panel, constantly firing back at the two that kept chasing him down. They rolled sideways and used their blades to deflect his attacks. He kept running till he bumped into something. Both turned quickly, breathing in relief as they looked on their companion's face. Hearing the sounds of their offenders approaching they turned, each to one side, staying back to back.

"Major!" Wedge whimpered. "We're doomed!"

"Stop your whining!" He ordered, his voice faltering in the end as they charged the soldiers once more.

Biggs fired at them, Schala stopped, casting a protect on Seifer that kept going. The bullets bounced of the barrier as he got closer.

Wedge cast a thunder spell, its effect enhanced by the metallic grounds. Sorphan passed by Zanya as he cast a shell spell in front of them. The blond girl jumped over the brunette landing fist first on the soldier just as Seifer sliced the major's gun in half. Wedge fell over Biggs and both crashed onto the floor.

All the teens approached their targets. Schala stopped suddenly. She was looking at the ground and she could've sworn she saw a big shadow pass by them. She walked slowly, her eyes on the skies and her senses completely alert.

The soldiers couldn't resist shivering slightly as they came closer. Seifer squatted down near them, Biggs eyes following the gunblade's movements as he waved it in front of his face.

"Now…"

"Everybody, get down and hold on to something!" They heard Schala shout as she kneeled down, stabbing her blade on the ground.

They didn't know what was going on, but not even Seifer ignored her words as he mimicked her actions. Sorphan threw one of the sticks of his weapon around the jagged edge of a metal plate, catching it and holding it tightly as Zanya grabbed the netted ground, her knuckles whitening as her grip strengthened.

Biggs and Wedge looked at each other. Both nodded at the same time considering their best change for an escape. They stood and started running towards the lift just as a strong wind blast threw both off their feet.

"What the…!?" Biggs cried out.

"Ahhhh!" Wedge screamed just as they slammed hard on the structure on the middle.

The cadets had managed to hold on, all looking at the others in hope anyone knew what was going on. A second wind blew at them, coming from the opposite direction and much stronger than before. The blast almost made them loose their footing, Zanya's feet and torso actually rising from the ground. The wind was renewed with a new blast forming a tornado.

All held on with all their strength, but Zanya wasn't able to keep her grip on the net and let go. She was send flying off the platform under the horrified expressions of her companions. As she was starting to contemplate her own doom, a hand shot outta nowhere grabbing her own and preventing her from flying off. She looked down in absolute gratitude to see Schala half standing both holding onto her blade and her hand with everything she had.

The wind's intensity finally subsided and they were able to relax for a bit, Zanya falling hard on the metallic platform. Their relief was short lived as a massive monster flew down and stayed hovering between the separated groups, a meter above the platform. The Elvoret growled as he stretched its wings.

"What the hell is it?" Zanya just got back to her feet and was starring at it.

"Let's get it!" They heard Seifer scream as he charged the large beast.

The monster swung its arm around, the blonde rolling to the side to avoid it. Both brunettes stepped forward and, at the roughly same time, sent thunder spells at it. The beast shook with pain of their combined attack. It focused back on the males as it sent a wind blast at them.

They barely kept their balance as it kept beating its wings. Coming from behind, the girls charged, Schala aiming for its lower part as Zanya ran up some scattered debris. She jumped over its back, supporting herself on one of its wings and started punching and kicking as the other girl sliced beneath her.

The Elvoret screeched in pain. Turning around he stopped the brunette girl's attacks and it desperately attempted to reach the annoying offender on its back with its long arms. She kept herself just barely outta reach, skipping from one wing to the other.

The others were trying to approach it from the platform but its frenetic movements were preventing them from getting close enough to hit, and with Zanya on it back magical attacks were risky. Schala had an idea. She signaled the others to follow her lead. She cast blizzard spells towards the bottom part of the Elvoret, causing little damage but slowing him down slightly. They understood her intentions and cast multiple spells to the same area.

After a few moments, there was an icy "bridge" joining the monster's lower spike to the platform, effectively halting his actions. Both gunbladers rushed at it, using a few debris as leverage and successfully landing several blows as the martial artist continued her attacks.

While the others attacked, Sorphan focused his mind, reaching for the monsters'. He smiled when he got in and was surprised to find some spells he didn't have and a GF. He immediately tried to draw the GF, but the beast was still too strong and resisted his attempts. He opted by drawing some doubles and trying the GF later.

The creature raged swinging its arms around, throwing them back, and moving its body, breaking the ice and almost making Zanya loose her grip. The Elvoret raised both its arms over and behind its head. The blond girl screamed in pain when one of the hands grabbed her bringing her around in front of the beast. It growled at her, her nose wrinkling from the foul stench emanating from the creature's mouth.

A fire spell hit the creature's back and Zanya was sent flying. It turned to face Schala. The beast swung its wings and the girl had to, once again stab her blade on the platform.

Sorphan panicked, Zanya was falling rapidly towards the floor, and at that speed she could get seriously injured. Just as she was about to hit the platform, she closed her eyes, but the pain of hitting the hard floor never came. Instead there was a warm and comfortable feeling surrounding her. She opened her eyes slowly but they soon widened when she saw clearly who had grabbed her.

"S… SEIFER!!" She screamed in his arms. He had rushed to the place he calculated she'd land and got there barely in time. He gave her his trademark smirk and she blushed slightly, turning her head away.

"I… ahh… tha... OOWWW!!" She started but was rudely interrupted when he dropped her, her frame hitting the floor, hard. Sure, a one meter fall was preferable to an over ten meters one, but it still hurt and he could have been gentler.

"You're welcome, Scaredy-cat." He replied with a clear mocking tone as he walked away, back at the battle.

As the wind weakened, Schala saw the Elvoret's hand swing at her. She quickly dislodged her weapon and jumped back. The beast kept coming and slammed his hand right at her as she landed from her jump. She could only bring her gunblade up to soften the blow. She was thrown to the floor, its hand pressing down on her weapon as its claws scratched the metal platform beside her. She tried to push back, but her GF enhanced strength wasn't enough.

Her companions tried to help her, Seifer running ahead ready to strike down the creature. But a swing from its wings was enough to keep them at bay. It raised his other hand high, sparks could be seen running in the tips of its fingers. A thunder spell hit the platform right in front of them. The electricity coursed through the metallic plating pushing them further back, it even almost reached Schala's position, dying down just before it came in contact with her.

"Damn it!" Seifer cursed out loud.

"We can't get closer!" Sorphan cried out. "The next thunder can reach her and that thing will squash her like a pancake! We have to think of something else!"

"I know that!" The blonde male spat at him. Then he stopped, looking at him. "Who the hell are you!?"

"Huh!?" He looked back confused and then he remembered he hadn't introduced himself to the squad leader yet. "Oh, right. I'm Sorp…"

"That can wait!" Both males turned at the blonde girl. "I have an idea!" She said, smirking as she focused. Both teens' eyes widened considerably, a tinge of fear evident in them. Zanya having an idea wasn't usually a very good idea.

Schala felt herself being pressed harder against the metallic floor. She had watched as the creature's thunder had almost reached her and was glad the thing was stupid enough to realize that if it had hit, it would be the end of her. She tried pushing the gunblade out but it was useless, it was too strong.

"Schala, get outta there!" She heard the other girl yell out at a distance.

She rolled her eyes beside the situation. _That's what I'm trying to… _"Oh, crap…" She whispered when she turned her head to their direction. A fiery aura was surrounding the martial artist. She was summoning Ifrit, and she was still under the Elvoret. Was she crazy!

"Are you crazy!?" Sorphan shouted at her.

"Are you trying to help her or kill her?" Seifer asked, irritation in his voice.

"Calm down! I know what I'm doing." The two cadets exchanged a doubtful look.

"Not even Hyne knows what you're doing!"

_I have to get out of here!_ SChala thought as she desperately tried to push its hand back. She suddenly remembered. _Shiva! Just like before! _

She felt the cold cross her arms as it focused on the length of her blade. It then burst out, forcing the beast's hand back a bit, enough so that she was now holding it off at arms length. But it still wasn't enough, she couldn't move before its arm came crashing down on her. She looked up, she had to think of something. She focused on her gunblade and an idea came to her. It was risky. The slightest miscalculation and that was it for her, but she was out of options.

She gave in a bit and twisted her weapon so that the blade was facing upwards. It cut through the monsters flesh and it instinctively pulled its hand back a bit. _Now!_ Her left hand left the blade, joining her right as she swung it at the hand, pressing the trigger. The beast cried out in pain as the attack almost blew its hand off. She quickly rolled back just as the other hand came down. She fell back as it managed to cut her leg right before it crashed against the platform. She looked up just as it was about to strike again, but it never got the chance.

Two strong, dark brow hands with long dark claws grabbed the monster's shoulders, pulling it back and throwing it against the middle structure. Ifrit looked down at the girl and smiled.

_Most excellent timing. __**Never thought I'd be happy to see that ugly mutt's face.**_

Ifrit smirked, like it somehow knew what they were thinking before turning to the winged creature and charging at it, smashing it against the metal plating. They started struggling.

"Schala!" She turned to see Seifer and Zanya running at her. "You ok!?" She asked concernedly.

She waved a hand, dismissing her worry as she passed her other hand over her injury casting a cure. She got up as Sorphan joined them.

"Where were you?" The blonde girl inquired when he approached with an accomplished smile on his face.

"It had a GF, I was drawing it." He explained calmly.

A loud, painful screech made them turn back. Ifrit had damaged the Elvoret's wings. Their hands were now intertwined, each trying to push the other back. The Fire Lord smirked as he let himself fall back, the beast falling with him and he kicked its chest sending it flying upwards. With its wings damaged, it was unable to control its flight. Ifrit jumped back to his feet and jumped high, catching the Elvoret a good twenty meters off the platform.

"Oh, shit! Hold on to something!" Zanya cried out as, through their link, the fire demon transmitted his intentions.

He rolled over the monster till he was on top. He then kicked it down, the creature gaining speed as it neared the hard metallic floor. It slammed the platform with amazing strength, making it shake tremendously. The teens silently thanked the sturdy Dollet construction as it withstood the heavy impact.

They were surprised to see the thing still moved, it seemed to be trying to get up. A growl from above regained their attention. From their spot, it almost seemed like Ifrit was reaching for the sun. On closer inspection they saw a fire ball growing larger and larger as the Fire Lord pulled out all of his remaining power. With one last growl, he threw the giant fiery ball down. None of them needed any warning and all rushed behind some debris for cover.

The Elvoret squirmed in panic. Ifrit returned to his master's mind just as the attack hit. A powerful heat wave spread from the impact but fortunately the destructive effect was localized on that spot. They came out of hiding and the view was impressive. Smoke rose from the monster's charred chest and part of the metal plating had actually melted. They approached the body slowly, just to check if it was really dead, though they couldn't imagine anything surviving that.

The beast stirred and suddenly rose, coming back for one last scream. Zanya did scream as she and Sorphan fell back in surprise. The two gunbladers, though spooked, tightened their grips on their weapons and ran at it. They both jumped and slashed through the monsters chest, gaining one last scream from the beast and landing with a roll on the other side. They turned as its body staggered sideways, falling off the platform. It hit the side of the cliff and rolled down till it reached its final resting place, beneath the waves.

They all gathered, breathing in relief that the battle was finally over. After a second's thought, Sorphan stood in front of Seifer, saluting.

"Squad B Captain? S'cuse me! I have new orders!" Seifer raised an eyebrow and looked at him. Taking it as a sign to continue, he did. "All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. Assemble at the shore!"

The two girls looked back at the brunette. He could have mentioned that sooner. The blonde boy frowned.

"Withdraw!? There are still enemies around!"

"I know, but I'm just a messenger." He said, shrugging.

"An order to withdraw takes priority." Schala stated crossing her arms. "I don't want to miss the vessel." She finished looking up at him.

"Tch… What time d'you say?"

He sighed. "Assemble at the shore at 1900 hours." He repeated, tiredly. That battle had taken a lot outta all of them.

Seifer looked down at his watch. "1900 hours… We have about 30 minutes. Should make a good run." He added, flashing a smile and rushing to the lift, taking it down… alone.

"Heeeyy!" Sorphan cried out. "Wait for us!"

"That damn idiot!" Zanya raged out, punching a piece of, still standing, plating. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Why don't we head down and ask him." Schala said in her normal tone as she neared the elevator. On queue, it arrived and she stepped onto it, looking back at them. "Let's go."

The other two rushed in, Sorphan pressing the down button several times. They arrived at the ground floor, and the two started running ahead of the brunette girl.

"Hey Leonhart!"

She stopped on her tracks when she heard the familiar calling. She turned back, her eyes locking on his sea green ones.

"What kept ya!?"

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Ufa… that was a long one…_

_Anyway, I hope you liked it _:)_. It did get kinda long, but I really saw no place to break it and well, I'm sure you won't complain on having more to read ;P. I said before to someone (you know who you are ;D), "long chapters rule", little did I know those words would come back and bite me in the ass…_

_Oh, well…_

_Next, on Twisted Fantasy: The Grand Escape! Stay tuned ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	7. Chapter 7: The Grand Escape

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy 8… I would surely want to though… especially Squall…_

**Chapter 7 – The Grand Escape**

**  
**

The platform was silent, the battle had ended a few minutes ago before he stirred. He threw some debris off of him and kneeled, seeing the destruction those punks had made. Looking to the side, he noticed Wedge was still knocked out and sighed deeply. He crawled over the rubble and as he moved he saw something. Approaching he realized it was the remote he had been forced to discard earlier, because of that blonde. The corners of his mouth rose in an evil grin, as he pushed several buttons on the device, relieved it still worked.

"Those little twerps are the targets. Now GO!! Go and DESTROY them!!"

Near him the sounds of activating machinery were heard.

OOOOOOOOOO

"You're still here?" She asked, surprised. She'd figured he was halfway to the shore by now.

"Of course." He smirked wide as he approached her, head slightly tilted to the side. "What kinda leader would I be if I left my people behind?"_What kinda man would I be if I'd left YOU behind…_ Though those words never left his lips.

"Seifer…" Her eyes watched him intently as she murmured.

"HAH!" The sudden shout made both of them turn to a very upset blonde. "So, you little prick! You're still here?"

"Tch. Well, I couldn't leave you behind or you'd never reach the shore." He replied, calmly sporting his trademark mocking smirk. He walked to her, seeing the remark had the expected result, the girl's eyes burning in anger.

"Ahmmm… Can we save the pointless and silly arguments for later?" All turned to the brunette young man, already on the outside of the tower. "We're on a deadline here!"

All agreed and headed out, though Zanya's eyes were still burning.

As they started following the path back to the city, Seifer and Schala stopped when they thought they'd heard something. Something like a _clang_, the sound of metal against metal they knew so well. Both turned to face the other, their expressions clearly saying: _Did you hear that too?_

"Come on, you two!"

"Hurry up!" The other two teens yelled at them from further ahead.

Schala turned to them as Seifer looked up. She was about to answer them when the blond suddenly tackled her, sending the two of them onto the steps of the Com Tower just as a giant black metallic spider came crashing down at the very spot they were standing a mere fraction of a second ago.

"Oh, shit!" The blonde martial artist jumped back in shock, watching the massive robot turn in hers and the brunette's direction.

The X-ATM092 focused on the two teenagers ahead of them, the kill command flashing in his inner screens. It also registered two more presences to his left and started to turn to the entrance of the tower.

"Shit! If that… whatever it is, sees them…" She was interrupted when Sorphan stepped up, his hand stretched in front of him.

"THUNDER!" The electrical attack hit the beast's metallic plating and it stopped turning. It zeroed in on the teens again, labeling them as a threat, it powered its weapons.

"Now that we have its total and unwavering attention…" The brunette said, facing the girl with a smile. "… what do we do?" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, followed by a glare of: _You should have thought about that before!_

_OOOOOOOOOO _

Schala stirred. The last thing she remembered was Seifer shoving her outta the way as something big and black fell on them. She felt the stairs of the tower entrance under her and tried to move only to realize she couldn't. There seemed to be something pinning her down and for a second, she hesitated to open her eyes.

She eventually did open them only to wish she hadn't. Over her laid a very amused, grinning like an idiot, Seifer looking at her with that look she didn't like at all. She glared at him, and it clearly meant _Get Off_, but he didn't take the hint. _Too subtle, perhaps._

"Get Off!" She tried to keep her voice controlled, but right at that moment he decided to adjust his position causing their legs to rub against each other ever so lightly. Her body tensed and her glare darkened.

"Oh, I'm ok." He looked deep into her eyes, trying to see more than irritation in them. He could hope, right? She narrowed her eyes and stirred more violently beneath him, launching her hands up against his chest to push him away, trying to force him out but all she accomplished was making their bodies touch again. She was starting to loose it, him being so close was really disconcerting.

He felt his self-control creeping through the corners. Having her so close was almost torture. He just felt like closing the distance between them but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His emotions were raging against each other, and even though he remained smirking, he had no idea what to do. She struggled strongly again, her knee coming up and a bit too close for Seifer's comfort.

"Hey Leonhart! Watch the package!" Only when he heard himself say that did he realize what he had actually said. He looked at her face and saw her as it registered. Her eyes widened considerably then narrowed in a dangerous glare.

She moved her arm slapping one of his that were supporting him. He stumbled to the side and, using his momentum, she made them roll and when the blonde noticed what happened their positions were reversed. She lingered over him for a few seconds as she recovered from the whole situation.

"You could have just said you prefer to stay on top." He was smirking again and it pissed the hell outta her. But she held it in. She just got off of him, picked up her gunblade which she had dropped when he tackled her, and tried to focus on the situation at hand. He just sighed, both in relief and disappointment, and started to get back up.

The mechanical spider had started firing at the other two cadets making them seek cover over some rocks as they cast several thunder spells, still trying to draw it nearer. She felt the blonde stand next to her and willed herself to forget all about the last minutes and concentrate at the present circumstances.

"We better get in there before Scaredy-cat gets them both killed." He looked at her as she still avoided his gaze. He shook his head to clear his mind and looked back on the battle. Still, he couldn't resist. "Since you like to be on top…" He could see her glare from the corner of his eye. "… You go over, I'll go under." He looked back at her. She still saw remains of emotion but she also saw seriousness, so they both nodded and charged.

OOOOOOOOOO 

"This is getting us nowhere!" Zanya screamed at Sorphan again. They'd been dumping thunder after thunder at the spider but it still kept coming at them firing its dual machineguns at their, quickly deteriorating, cover rocks.

"Our attacks just aren't powerful enough… Hah!" The brunette suddenly remembered something. Searching inside his head, he found what he was looking for and smiled. "These might help." He said to an intrigued blonde martial artist as he cast Double on both of them.

She felt her magic ability rising and looked up to his smiling face. "Nice!" They got ready to turn and fry the damn robots circuits when it suddenly stopped firing. They looked at each other, utterly confused for a second before sneaking a peak around the rock to see what was going on.

The spider seemed berserk, it was trashing around aimlessly apparently trying to shake something off its back while trying to step on something under it. They got out on the open and looked more closely. What they saw made them run closer quickly.

Schala was on top of the mechanical beast slicing anything she could reach while attempting to avoid the gunfire from the machineguns that were now turned towards her, and keeping her balance which was getting harder by the second since the robot kept jerking violently. All the while, beneath the creature, Seifer was cutting and stabbing his blade on every fissure he could find on the spider's metal torso, constantly having to move around in order to avoid its legs from crushing him. The galbadian machine was taking heavy damage, but still maintained its violent attempts at getting rid of the youngsters.

As it grew harder and harder for both teenagers to keep their pace, they decided the damage inflicted would have to suffice and both decided, roughly at the same time, to get out. Seifer rushed towards the front of the spider, rolling under the creature vicious clamps just as Schala jumped over the spider's head, flipping in mid air and landing steadily, facing the mechanical beast. The blonde youth was already by her side and, without any sign exchanged between them, both brought their hands forward.

"THUNDER!!" Their yell and attack was echoed by the other two cadets behind them as the strength of six, Zanya and Sorphan's spells counting as two due to the double magic cast upon them, powerful electrical charges hit the metallic spider simultaneously. The electricity coursed through the creature's body, frying and otherwise damaging several essential circuitries. It still advanced towards them as they saw sparks coming from everywhere. They didn't move and as it stood just a step away from them, it collapsed.

They all breathed a sigh of relief, some more evident and soundly than others. Seifer spared a glance at the girl beside him. She felt his gaze and turned her head to face him. Their eyes locked for a bit and she nodded slightly her _Good work_, as they turned back completely to the other two. The brunette boy was leaning against a rock, obviously tired and the blonde was looking at all of them impatiently.

"Now, can we get the hell outta here!?" Her answer came as the four SeeD aspirants started running up the path.

Nearby, on the already forgotten mechanical spider's inner screens, an image flashed continually.

_**Repairing motor and offensive functions… 30... 40... 50...**_

OOOOOOOOOO

"They're late."

Quentin was trying to keep calm… and was failing miserably. All of the SeeDs had already returned, them having decided that two of them would stay behind for the conference between the Galbadian representatives and the Dukedom, and most of the SeeD candidates had returned to their respective transport as well. His eyes darted to the flight of stairs on the sign of movement. He lowered his head again and sighed in frustration when he realized it was not his team.

He was currently pacing inside the vessel, under the watchful look of Xu, who was trying to keep a serene expression that would calm him down, temporarily, every time he glanced her way.

"I'm sure they're fine." He kept pacing. "They are the best group of fighters among the cadets this year, those three." He stopped, looking back at her. He didn't voice his thoughts, but she somehow got them. _That was the problem._

Seifer's attitude could have easily stray them off the plan and into the heart of danger… it wouldn't be the first time. And the fact that they were, indeed, the best warriors among Balamb Garden cadets only meant they would, willingly, jump right into it.

He let go a sigh as he resumed his pacing.

"I'm sure they're fine…" She was interrupted when the door opened behind her.

"Excuse me, Xu! There's someone in the intercom for you." The pilot of the vessel handed her a phone like device and returned to his post.

She scrambled with some buttons before raising it to her ear. Quentin had stopped pacing.

"Yes… Oh, hi Mark! What's up?" She stayed silent for a few seconds and he could hear the other man talking to her but he couldn't understand what was being said. He approached as he saw her face become more serious. "I see… well, it's possible… don't worry… No, no, I insist! You go, we have to wait for them anyway… I'll take responsibility over him… yes… yes, Mark in a few minutes… ok, see ya back in Balamb." She pressed a side button on the device, placed it down and turned to the blonde instructor.

She sighed under his questioning gaze. "The messenger sent to deliver the withdraw order hasn't returned yet." His expression hardened. "Last team to be informed was Squad B, and they were not at their designated area." Quentin stomped till the entrance of the vessel, his eyes locking on the staircase on the other end of the beach. Xu looked down at her watch. They had around twenty minutes left.

_Damn you, Seifer!_

OOOOOOOOOO

The four cadets were running up the path and soon reached the top. After that, it was all the way down back to Dollet. As they were passing by the cliff where they had stopped earlier to assess the Com Tower's outer security, Sorphan, who was keeping pace with Schala on the rear of the group, suddenly slowed down to a stop. He was looking down at the entrance of the facility.

Schala only stopped when the blonde girl ahead of her, turning momentarily to check on them, stopped as well.

"Sorphan! What are you waiting for, c'mon!" She yelled out, the other blonde also stopping a few steps ahead.

"It's not there… where is it…" He whispered low, stumbling backwards slightly as he looked down.

"What was that?" Zanya yelled again, she was too far to hear but Schala was close enough and approached the young man.

"Where's what?" She asked, frowning. Her eyes soon widened as she looked down the path and the metallic black spider was no where to be seen._ Oh, crap… _

"RUN!" In that instant, the mechanical beast jumped over the cliff landing where the two brunettes had stood not a second before Schala pulled Sorphan out of the way. They tripped but avoided falling down and the four of them started running, desperately, down the mountain. The spider following closely.

"I thought we already busted that thing up!?" Zanya cried out as they kept running.

"Forget it! Let's just go!" Schala replied as she ran past her.

They seemed to have lost it half way down, but it suddenly jumped next to them, causing some rubble to roll under them. Sorphan lost his footing and was dragged by the rolling stones. A strong gloved hand got hold of his just as he was stepping off the road. He looked up giving the blonde martial artist a tired _thank you_ smile before scrambling back to his feet and resuming their run. The rocks seemed to also have slowed down the spider as it was no longer behind them as they reached the bottom.

They could see the stone bridge and the town beyond it. As they reached the sturdy bridge they slowed down to recover their breaths. Half of them turned, looking back at the mountain expecting that horrible robot to show up at any second.

"Seems like we're in the clear." Came Sorphan's relieved words between deep breaths.

"Yeah!" Sighed an equally relieved Zanya.

"Hmm…"

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Both teens tensed up and turned as the two gunbladers, their weapons already drawn, stood in a ready stance facing that wretched creature which was blocking their path.

"Does this never end!?"

The spider rushed at them, thunder spells hitting it as it approached, not even slowing it down. It brought its twin clamps forward and thrust them in their direction. They jumped back but at the last second it threw them down, sending several rocks at them. They hit Sorphan on the side of his head and Seifer on his stomach making both fall back. The girls kept hitting it with thunder spells but it seemed unfazed.

_Damn it! If it can repair, it probably enhanced its defense against thunder magic…_

"I've had it with this freak'n spider!" Both girls turned at Sorphan's roar, so uncharacteristic of his cheerful personality. He had his hands stretched forward, and a brown and grey aura seemed to be surrounding him. "Get out of the way!" Again, his dark tone sounded so alien but they moved aside, Seifer, already up and joining them.

"Fenrir, get rid of this thing." He whispered, more to the entity he was summoning than to anyone else.

The ground beneath them shook, and a strong wind blew past them, circling an undetermined area ahead of them. The quakes also seemed to originate from that spot as its interior became hidden by the wind and the earth it was raising. A loud howling came from within and the wind immediately dissipated and the dust settled down.

Standing in front of them was a magnificent blue wolf with snow white patches of fur, paws and long tail. His snout was pure white, the ears long and almost resembling wings with golden tips, also present in his ankles and legs, and a golden mane flowed from his head back. He also sported two thin black horns coming out of his head, red at their ends.

Fenrir opened his dark red eyes, locking on his opponent. His jaw opened in a growl showing an impressive set of sharp fangs as his claws scratched the earth beneath them.

The spider had halted momentarily, assessing this new target. It didn't take its A.I. long to consider it a threat, perhaps even bigger than the other four combined, and it focused all its attention on the wolf.

Fenrir growled again and charged. The machineguns rounded up and started firing at the elusive wolf. He was zigzagging all around the place, getting closer and staying one step ahead of the bullets at all times. When he was close enough, he jumped high. The cannons aimed up and fired but even in mid air, he was still able to dodge every round. He landed heavily on the spider's back and bit one of the machineguns' cannons, starting to tear it off.

"NOW!" Sorphan yelled out, running to in their direction. "While Fenrir is distracting it, we can pass and keep going! He'll hold it as long as he can!" The others nodded and ran along the sides of the bridge, staying as distant from the battle as they could.

Fenrir, finally, ripped the cannon off the robot, throwing it away to the depths of the cliff. The damaged metallic creature brought its other weapon around and fired at his aggressor. Its aim went off as the wolf jumped off its back, hitting millimeters away from Zanya's head whose fast reflexes made her roll under the rounds.

"Shit!" She cursed as she got back up and continued running.

The spider zeroed in on them. It wasn't about to let them escape, the wolf was only a distraction. It turned to make chase but then it registered a sound from behind.

Fenrir howled as he called forth a quake. The floor rose as if something was digging under it, starting in the wolf's position and advancing towards the spider. The ground around it shook and gave in, halting its movements and effectively stopping its chase on the teenagers. Its, still operational, machinegun fired at him again but the wolf's agility allowed him to dodge every bullet, approaching the spider once more.

The mechanical beast brought it clamps up and charged, but it just sunk further into the bridge unable to prevent a new landing by the wolf on its back. He started trying to bite some pieces of plating off, exposing some wiring which he immediately proceeded in ripping off. It desperately tried to get the damn creature off of it, and after almost grabbing his tail with a clamp, the wolf jumped off.

The spider managed, with a lot of effort, to climb out of the hole in the bridge and was now facing the wolf which stood between itself and the town. If a wolf can smirk, that's what he was doing right at that moment. He stood firm on all his four legs and stared down at the clueless robot, his dark red eyes shone as he concentrated all his might. The metallic beast moved closer to its target just as a loud howl filled the skies and the earth.

The ground quaked violently beneath the stone bridge, and it only intensified as the seconds passed. There was a thunder, but it did not come from the clear blue skies above them. It rocked again and again almost like someone, or something was trying to break the earth from within. Loose rocks were sliding down the cliffs, structures were trembling and Fenrir was smiling.

And just as the wolf began to fade back into the wind, in a brown and grey light, the ground broke and an earth pile, in the shape of a fist, burst through the ground and the stone bridge, hitting the metallic spider straight on and sending it flying into the skies.

OOOOOOOOOO

The four SeeD candidates kept running, leaving the bridge and the sound of battle behind them as they rushed towards the shore. They had just reached the Central Square, the place most of them were originally supposed to be securing, when the ground shook with tremendous strength, almost making them loose their footing.

"What the hell was that!?" Zanya asked, to no one in particular, as she leaned against a wall for support.

"Fenrir…" Sorphan answered just as the guardian's light returned into his mind. The others looked at him expecting some news. Was the thing finished for good, or not? "Hmm…"

"What!?" The two blondes all but yelled at him.

"He hit it hard, but isn't sure if it can recover at least some motor functions… he says it hasn't landed yet…" That little comment gaining some raised eyebrows. "He says the bridge's gonna need some work, though..."

They heard a loud crashing sound coming from somewhere behind them and they were left wondering whether the spider "had landed", whatever that meant, or the bridge had collapsed. Their musings would have to wait, however, as they all suddenly remembered they had to hurry, having little over ten minutes to reach their destination.

They ran past the junk shop and as they were nearing the pub, Sorphan couldn't stop wondering if the squad stationed there had already withdrew. As they were passing beneath the catwalk, a familiar sound from behind made them slow down. They stared at each other, shock and disbelieve splattered on their faces. _It can't be…_

The following sound, like heavy footsteps wrecking the pavement along with mechanical noises, were enough to make the teenagers pick up their pace. Just as they advanced a few houses down, a louder crash, right behind them, made them look back in horror. The spider had just burst out of a backwards alley, launching debris all over the street as it collided against the buildings on the opposite side.

The cadets rushed forward in an almost desperate attempt to escape the monstrous robot but the creature had resumed its chase and was quickly gaining on them. They weren't gonna make it.

Realizing that, Schala reached a decision. She contacted the entity habiting her mind, asking for her aid. Her plan in motion, she stopped and turned, bringing her palms down to the ground.

The other SeeD candidates kept running, none noticing the brunette girl's actions until Zanya, who was at the back of the group, turned to look at their pursuer and stared in shock.

"What are you doing!?" She yelled out, no one else hearing her above the ruckus.

"Keep going!" She yelled back still kneeling.

"But…"

"JUST GO!!" She screamed at her, looking over her shoulder making the other girl stumble backwards. Zanya finally resumed her run, after yelling a "Good Luck" she couldn't be sure was heard, following the others that had already reached the stairs.

An intense cold covered Schala's arms and hands and she could feel it spreading on the ground around her. A cold pulse hovered the pavement as a thin layer of ice formed above it. The spider was only a few meters away from the girl, but the second the icy wave connected with it, it stopped. Its legs were covered in ice, forcing it to halt completely. Schala looked back, the others had already reached the beach and were half way to the vessel. She returned her attention to the robotic beast in front of her. Her delay tactic had worked, they were safe now.

All but her.

She cut her magic flow and as she was getting up and readying herself to follow her companions, she could see the spider resisting her spell. It broke through just as she was about a couple of steps off the end of the city.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Hurry up!" They could hear Quentin and Xu yell out from the vessel, just a few meters ahead of them. Though the boys could see relief in their expressions, Seifer knew he was getting an earful when that passed. Both teens jumped into the transport, breathing hard as the two SeeDs kept their eyes on the shore. They could see Zanya running in their direction, but there was no sign of Schala anywhere.

Just before the blonde martial artist got into the vessel, Quentin turned to the male cadets, his face one of worry.

"Where's Schala!?" He questioned them, half shouting.

"What are you talking about!?" Replied the blonde, the brunette's eyes widening in concern. Seifer stood straight, walking to the entrance. "She was right behi…"

A distant and loud clattering bang cut him mid-sentence and all ran to the edge of the vessel to see its origin. Zanya, who hadn't entered the vehicle yet, turned around, her eyes widening at the sight.

The large metallic beast had slammed against the archway at the end of town, sending debris flying off. Among them there was something else that made all that were watching scream out her name.

Schala landed hard on the sand, her momentum making her roll a few more meters. She came to a stop, but her head hit a half buried rock, disorienting her. The X-ATM092 stood over the stairs, taking in its bearings after the hard collision. It detected some of its targets further down the shore along with a transport that could be harboring more threats. Its scanners also detected a life sign nearer to its location. Focusing them down, he saw the brunette female. The kill command flashed again in its inner screens as it slowly, and carefully, approached her.

"Damn it!" Seifer cried out as he was about to jump off in her direction, Zanya, still in the shore, getting ready to do the same.

"Oh, no you don't!" Quentin stood in front of him, effectively halting him. "You too, Zanya! You aren't going anywhere!" The blonde girl stopped, reluctantly, turning to face the SeeDs in the vessel as Xu motioned her to get in and not even think about disobeying her.

Seifer, however, stood his ground glaring at the blonde SeeD in defiance. "So, we're leaving her to die?" He let go a dry laugh. "Is that how it's going to be, _instructor_!?" They glared each other down, anger running like mad in Seifer's system that only intensified when the SeeD closed his eyes in thought.

"I'm not leaving anyone behind…" He raised his eyes to the other teen. "But, I'm not risking anyone else's life either!" He brushed past him and the other two cadets as he headed into the vessel, sparing one last meaningful look at the female SeeD.

Seifer scoffed, his attitude really grating on his nerves. He moved to get off the ship but was stopped when Xu stood in front of him. She raised her head slowly, her dark brown eyes locking in his. The blonde gave an involuntary step back. Everyone knew better than to cross this particular female SeeD, and by the time a fight between them could be resolved, the other girl would be dead. He could do nothing but wait.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala stirred in her laying position on the ground. She felt dizzy and her head hurt like hell. She opened her eyes but it was all a blur, she couldn't make out anything. She stared up, the late afternoon light slightly clearing her vision. Then, a shadow covered her. Her eyes started to focus as she supported herself on her elbows.

Her eyes recovered fully only to widen at the situation. The large black spider was carefully climbing down the stairs connecting to the beach. It moved slowly like a prowling cat approaching its unsuspecting victim. The girl started to move back, slowly as to not provoke the attack, her hands searching for her involuntarily discarded gunblade. She cursed under her breath as she couldn't reach it and couldn't risk diverting her eyes from her attacker.

The Black Widow neared its target, activating its deadly clamps and readying them to rip the girl to shreds. Just as it lifted one of its arms to strike at the cadet, a powerful thunder spell hit it on its side catching its attention. Schala turned her head to the side to see the caster.

A large light yellow and green dragon flew through the skies, constantly sending thunder spells at the robot, which seemed to have already forgotten all about the teen face the new threat. Quetzalcoatl kept attacking the metallic beast, easily evading the machinegun fire it sent his way.

Schala scrambled to her feet, taking advantage of the new distraction, and picking up her weapon, she resumed her run to the transport.

The remaining cadets and the SeeDs breathed out in relief as they saw the brunette girl running towards them, Quentin standing on top of the vessel where he had summoned the Thunder Dragon. The vehicle suddenly shuttered, its engines shaking into life. Zanya and Sorphan gaped in surprise, both turning and heading for the pilot's chamber. Fearing the girl's impulsive manner, and that the boy would help her beat the pilot to a bloody pulp, Xu hurried after them, leaving Seifer alone by the entrance of the transport.

_C'mon, Leonhart. Move your cute butt over here…_

Seeing that the girl was far enough, the thunder Guardian moved into position to deal with the pesky spider once and for all. It positioned himself directly above his target, screeching into the skies as several chains of lightning left his beak onto the earth, forming a perfect circle around the galbadian machine. The electricity intensified, uniting and forming something like an electrical cage.

Sensing a great danger, and already having some circuitry reacting, badly, at the level of electricity in the air, the X-ATM092 rammed the cage, in a vain attempt to escape it. The moment it connected it was sent flying back, the point of contact scorched and fuming.

Quetzalcoatl screeched once more into the skies, and it almost sounded like he was singing. The thunderstorms that had gathered a few seconds before started to lighten the sky with its lightning bolts, till one of them hit the cage. The stored energy flowed inwards striking the mechanical beast with amazing force. Another lightning followed, then another and another, each attack strengthening the intensity of the powerful electrical charge that enveloped the teens' aggressor.

The electricity coursed through the Black Widow's circuits, frying any and everything in its path. It caused several small fires and some big ones. It cracked and blasted several plating and all systems were now down. The imposing Thunder Dragon faded into yellow light just as the electric charge reached the robot's fuel cells.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala was already only ten meters away from the vessel. Both blond males screamed at her to hurry as the vessel started to depart, the other teens failing their attempts at delaying it.

Five meters.

She was running with everything she had, all her energies focused on her legs to move faster. She was tired and drained, still she didn't allow her aching limbs to slow down. _Just a bit more._

Two meters.

The vessel was already a few meters from the shore, if she didn't hurry it would be too far for her to reach. She closed in the last meters, the ship's engines roaring into activity again as she came to the end of the beach.

She stepped off the sand, giving a few long strides on the shallow waters before using the last of her strength to jump. Her body lingered in the air for a few seconds, but it seemed like longer to her as reality hit and she knew, she wasn't going to make it.

As she began to fall back into the waves, a hand shot out from inside the vessel, grabbing hers. She closed her grip on that life-line as it pulled her in.

Right at that moment, a loud and large explosion sounded from behind her, the mechanical spider going down in a huge blast, sending innumerous debris all around the Dollet shores. The shock wave from the explosion increased her momentum, throwing her against her rescuer and both fell within the vessel just as the doors closed and the transport gained speed.

She landed over her savior, his hands going down to her waist so that she'd fall on him instead than on the floor. She stayed lying there, keeping her eyes closed and just breathing deeply and trying to return her heart rate back to normal.

She wasn't sure how long it had passed before she found the strength to move again, or even open her eyes. It didn't matter. She was alive and going back home. She barely even realized the body beneath her moving up and down in breathing, nor the fast heart beat in his chest, till the figure spoke in a soft and amused tone.

"You just have to stay on top, don't ya… Leonhart!?"

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Here I am again! And one more chappie! Hope you liked it XD._

_Now, again, this one has those two kinds of action… the same thing I mentioned a couple chapters back applies here. _

_And there, Fenrir is Sorphan's summon! Remember Selphie mentioning she junctioned a GF in Trabia continent when she was younger? Well, I think that Final Fantasy 9's Fenrir fits in the icy continent's environment quite nicely, no? In case that there are any doubts, he's Earth and Wind elemental._

_Ok, the end… for now XD._

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	8. Chapter 8: The New SeeDs

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… Don't hold that against me…_

**Chapter 8 – The New SeeDs**

**  
**

"You just have to stay on top, don't ya… Leonhart!?"

Her eyes shot open and widened as she registered his words. She placed her arms on the side of his head and pushed, staying just a few centimeters away from his face. Sea green locked on stormy blue… for about five seconds before she bolted off of him. Loosing her balance as she stepped back, she fell against the walls of the compartment, letting herself slide down to a sitting position.

Seifer sat up, supporting his weight on his elbows and raising his head so that their eyes met again. His intense stare locked on hers once more and time felt like it had stopped. Seconds passed in what seemed like hours. Neither said a word nor could either tear their gaze away from the other.

Unknowingly to them, Quentin watched from the door frame, slightly stunned and amused at their actions and the tenseness in the room. His musings were interrupted when he heard voices of the others approaching. He glanced back into the room. Seifer was already up while Schala remained sitting down, head leaning down and her eyes closed, probably still recovering her strength.

The other cadets came into view and he had to suppress a chuckle. Both of them walked slowly, their heads down and a scowling Xu walked behind them. When they looked over the back compartment of the transport, both their faces changed drastically. They almost screeched and rushed inside.

"Schala! You're alright!" Both said in chorus.

She raised her eyes and head slowly, looking up at then. A light frown formed on her face, not understanding why they seemed so relieved to see her.

"I'm fine." She told them, waving her hand in dismissal of their worries. She got up, supporting herself on the wall and, purposely avoiding a certain blonde's face, she walked out of the compartment towards the cramped sitting room. She passed by the two SeeDs, nodding her "Thanks", as she proceeded to the seats, taking her place on the farthest left side.

Quentin and Xu exchanged understanding looks half-stepping into the other compartment, motioning the other teens to take their seats, not missing the disappointed shrug of the two cadets that, was it not for Xu's timely interruption, would have broken the pilot in half.

Seifer walked by the SeeDs, not missing the upset glare given to him by the other blonde male. But he just shrugged it off and continued. He entered the cramped room and the first thing he noticed - there was nothing else in the room anyway - was Schala sitting, head down, her form leaning against the back of the sofa, legs and arms crossed. She had her eyes closed making him, and the others that followed him in, wonder if she was awake or asleep. He sat down in front of her, placing his feet in the center table and also leaning back in his seat. And he watched her.

The SeeDs took their places near the brunette, Quentin between the girls, as the remaining cadets sat near the blonde, first Sorphan then Zanya. Sending one last glare at Seifer, which he did his best to ignore, Quentin turned to the brunette boy in front of him.

"You must be Sorphan." He watched as his eyes focused on him and he nodded with an unsure expression. Quentin smiled. "Instructor Mark called, worried that you hadn't returned yet." He saw as the boy cringed and suppressed a chuckle. "Don't worry. He knows why you got late." He spared another glance at Seifer, who didn't even seem to be paying any attention. "If anything, you'll be commended for your tenacity in the fulfillment of your duties…" To this, the boy gleamed, smiling widely. Zanya elbowing him in a supporting way. "… unlike others…" Again he, and this time the rest of the room's occupants also gazed at Seifer, that continued to ignore him.

Quentin sighed and turned to the cadets once more. "Now. You want to tell me what happened?"

Seifer, finally acknowledged the SeeD, turning his head in the others direction. It was the Squad leader's job to give the report of their activities, but he really didn't feel like it.

"Scaredy-cat can tell you all about it…" he said, turning back to his original position.

Zanya didn't even register the fact he'd called her _that _name again, only that she could make the report. She liked relaying information and immediately started telling them, with every detail, all they did since the second they landed on the beach.

Zanya told her tale enthusiastically, emphasizing her own achievements but also characterizing the other's styles and, often, combined attacks. The SeeDs listened attentively, along with Sorphan that wasn't familiar with the early details, and every now and then, they would glance back at the two other teenagers that were completely ignoring the whole ordeal.

On more that one occasion, during those momentary looks, some wondered whether Schala was sleeping or not. She hadn't stirred, she actually hadn't moved a muscle since she sat down. All those that were somewhat used to her quiet demeanor really couldn't tell. All but Seifer.

Seifer hadn't torn his gaze from the brunette girl ever since the annoying blonde had started her babbling and kept the attention of everyone else. He knew, with a great deal of certainty, that Schala was not only resting, she had actually dozed off and had been for quite a while now. He knew this from experience. Not that he'd seen her sleep often, mind you, but because he saw her while she was awake. Whenever she was fighting, studying, resting even eating, there were always a light frown and a tenseness in her. It seemed, to him at least, that she never allowed herself to stay truly relaxed, either for fear to be caught of guard or anything of the sort, he couldn't be sure. Unless she couldn't control it, like he assumed was the case of when she slept.

He found himself, discreetly, watching over her sleeping form. She looked almost vulnerable and he was invaded with a deep desire to protect the girl from any and every danger that could come her way. So, he watched her.

Zanya kept talking and talking, quite loudly, actually, which kinda surprised Seifer that Schala could remain sleeping through it all. She had reached the Central Square part and was now describing the amazing synchronization between the two teens. The listeners' eyes widened, what she told them seemed incredible, especially to those who knew how those two did not get along.

Quentin gained a small knowing smile. He knew that if they decided to work together, the result would be outstanding. And he was right. He turned to look at Schala, once again wondering if she was asleep. He then turned to Seifer with a light frown in his face. The fact he disobeyed orders and placed his team, and a member of another team, in danger was still fresh in his memory. But, he wasn't quite prepared for what he saw.

Seifer was leaning against his seat, his gaze locked on the young woman sitting in front of him. But what surprised Quentin, was the look on his face. Instead of his trademark smirk or the lustful eyes he usually sported while looking at her, he had a caring expression. It was almost like he was watching over her, protectively, like a parent looking over their children or a lover watching his loved one, tenderly. That thought made him smile. _Boy, is he hooked! _He tried his best to remove the amusement from his features, refocusing on the other blonde's tales after one quick glance at Xu. Yeah, he could relate to Seifer's feelings.

OOOOOOOOOO

The trip back went by relatively fast. Zanya had finished her report just in time as the vessel slowed down signaling their arrival at Balamb coastal waters.

Schala slowly opened her eyes, almost like the diminishing speed woke her up while the constant loudness coming from Zanya during the entire trip couldn't. She looked up and thought she saw a glimpse in sea green eyes she didn't recognize. It was only for a second and she doubted it was there in the first place, his smirking expression returning full force.

The vessel came to a full stop and the SeeDs started motioning them to leave it, nodding approvingly at their performance in the exam. They all got out, breathing in the salty breeze on the docks. Quentin and Xu remained talking just outside the boat, as the cadets moved away from it, Sorphan and Zanya were enrolled in an active discussion, about what, Schala couldn't care less. She walked by the edge of the pier, her small rest on the way back making her recover most of her strength. She saw through the corner of her eyes as Seifer headed out of the docks walking towards his friends, Raijin and Fujin, who came to welcome him back.

"Seifer! How'd it go?" Raijin asked happily, hooking his heavy arm on the slightly shorter blonde's shoulders.

"Man…" He started, shoving the heavy arm off of him. "… All they did was get in my way." He said to his two friends, glancing back at the brunette girl, smirking and winking at her. "Being a leader ain't easy." He finished, shrugging and walking off the pier, his _pose_ walking alongside him.

"SAFE?" Fujin barked at him, though if there was concern in it, which would surely be, nor her expression nor her tone showed it.

Seifer nodded back at the albino girl, smiling at her as the three walked off together.

Schala's attention was drawn back by Quentin's voice calling out to them.

"Good job!" She heard him say as he neared the other two cadets, Xu walking beside him. He frowned slightly, looking around. "Where's Seifer?"

There was a collective shrug from the remaining occupants on the pier, followed by a sigh from the blonde instructor. He shook his head disapprovingly before returning his gaze at them again.

"Oh, well. Just be back at Garden by sundown." He spared a glimpse at the short haired woman beside him receiving an approving nod. "You're free 'till then. Ok, dismissed!" Both SeeDs stood in attention, followed by the three cadets, before they headed out towards the parking lot just outside the docks.

The three teens relaxed and started walking off the pier as well. When they got out, there was only one car left in the park, the one they arrived in Balamb hours before and that they were planning to take back. They stared as they saw Seifer peaking out of the window waving back at them just as the car sped off towards the town. Zanya was outraged.

"H-HEY!!" She yelled out at him, running up part of the driveway. She was fuming when she turned back and walked near the other two. "Not again, man! There goes Mr. Ego…"

Sorphan was staring at the still present exhaust fumes left by the car as he sighed, a tired smile on his face. "He does that a lot, huh?" he asked rhetorically and shrugged.

Without a word, Schala started walking back into town. Seeing this, the other two cadets immediately followed her, considering it would be best if they stuck together. The brunette girl barely acknowledged their present till they were in the middle of the town and the blonde girl called out at her. She stopped, reluctantly and turned to face them.

"Hey Schala! My place is around here! We could go grab something to eat before we head back!" Sorphan looked excited by the new development, only realizing then that he was quite hungry and started nodding vigorously. Zanya smiled, licking her lips in anticipation for wondrous food. "My dad makes a wicked hot-dog…"

Schala just stared at the two teens, already dreaming of filled stomachs.

"Fine." She said calmly. The two youths whooped, both jumping extremely high and being extremely loud, gaining the attention of other the people around them. "You two go. Eat to your heart's content." Then, she turned, resuming her walk outta town.

They stopped jumping, staring at her retreating form, mouths slightly agape. They exchanged a look between them and turned back at her.

"Nooo…" Zanya gave chase followed by Sorphan till they caught up to the girl, keeping her pace, one on each side of her. "We all go! C'mon… FOOD!!"

"Pass…"

"C'mon Schala!" Sorphan tried. "I'm in dire need of nourishment!!"

Schala stopped, the other two stopping with her.

"I already told you, you can go. Besides, it's not like you need my permission… nor must I go with you, as long as you get back to Garden by sundown." She said calmly, though this whole conversation was starting to innervate her. Why couldn't they just go and leave her alone?

"NO!" They both stated.

"You have to come with!" Sorphan insisted.

"Yeah, it's not the same if it's just the two of us!" Zanya added.

She really couldn't understand their actions. They weren't friends, they were nothing more than temporary comrades in battle and now she had to tag along! They could very well go without her, why were they pushing this matter. Normally she would just go to shut them up, but she was still a bit tired and just wanted to calmly go back. She just wasn't in the mood.

"Listen. I'm not in the mood." They stayed silent. "If you want to go, go. I'm going back." And she started walking again, not bothering to see if they were following her or not, she didn't care anyway.

Once again, Zanya and Sorphan watched her as she walked away. They looked at each other. For one, they would really like to grab something to eat and see Zanya's dad, on the other hand, they were both pretty simple minded and already considered Schala a friend. They didn't want to have fun without her. So, a bit disappointedly, they rushed behind her, catching up after a while.

She noticed their arrival and sighed. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

OOOOOOOOOO

The SeeDs gathered in Headmaster Cid's office, each taking a seat in one of the several chairs spread in a half circle in front of his desk. The instructors compared notes on their cadets, each already knowing, or at least having a pretty good idea whom amongst them would make it to SeeD.

Instructor Trepe was the happiest one in the room, and wasn't afraid to show it. Even considering the almost certainty that Seifer would probably not make the cut, his other two students were almost guaranteed to be approved, along with their recently found companion.

Only the Headmaster hadn't arrived yet. He was late and that was unlike him…

Unknowingly to most of them, Cid had been in a meeting with the Garden's greatest contributor. And he wasn't happy about it as he left the elevator on the third floor. He stood in front of his office doors, composing himself. He was never in a good mood after a discussion with NORG, and this was no exception.

He shrugged it off and placed his best smile as he entered his office, greeting the saluting SeeDs on the inside.

"At ease, all." He reached his desk and sat behind it. "Well, now. Who will be the new SeeDs?"

OOOOOOOOOO

It was a long walk back, but they had finally arrived at the gates of Balamb Garden. Zanya gave long strides pass the entrance, stretching her sore muscles and breathing in the garden's scent.

"Huuuwahaah! Finally made it back…" She was already jumping around.

"Seriously…" Sorphan said with a yawn, also stretching a bit.

Schala looked around the grounds. It was so peaceful, complete opposite to their walk here.

First, they nagged her to go eat at Zanya's place. When she wouldn't go, instead of taking the hint, they followed her and never shut up during the entire trip. She couldn't even think, constantly resisting the urge to yell at them to shut up. Then, they - mostly Zanya - continually gave suggestions to the best way back, paths that would most likely get them lost instead of getting them back faster. Just as her patience was reaching its limit, Balamb Garden's magnificent structure came into view, which calmed her nerves considerably. She turned her gaze back at them.

"Well, I guess we just wait for the test results now." Zanya turned back at them, a big smile on her face. "'Till then. See ya Schala, Sorphan." She waved at them and all but ran, at amazing speed, through the entrance grounds towards the main building.

Sorphan waved at her, she was already too far away to hear his loud reply so he didn't bother. He turned back at Schala. "See ya!" He said cheerfully, waving back at her while following the other girl to the building, his pace considerably slower.

She watched them till they were out of view and sighed deeply. Alone at last, so she should be glad, right? She shook her head, now that her loud companions had left she didn't feel like thinking. She looked back, the sun was just about to set over the hills behind Balamb Town, its orange light illuminating the rooftops in the distance. It was time to head back so she turned and walked in her calm pace towards the main structure of Garden.

The main hall was packed. Cadets that had taken the field exam were accompanied by their friends or curious students that wanted to know who had passed it.

Schala looked around, not really feeling like mingling (do try to act surprised XD), so she stepped off to the right side hall, sitting down in the benches across the library.

OOOOOOOOOO

Seifer was walking around with his _pose_. He'd overheard some SeeDs saying that the negotiations between the Dollet Dukedom and the Galbadian Army had been peaceful. The G-Army's only demand was that the Communication Tower would be repaired, having suffered damage from the cadets' battle against the Elvoret, and the uplink kept operational.

So, the Com Tower was important! He'd known then, something big was going on. Though he still didn't know why they wanted the Com Tower operational. No one knew apart from the Galbadians. And of course, they'd have more prestige had they stayed and cleaned up the place properly.

He was brought out of his musings when he saw a certain brunette girl walk in the direction of the library. He smiled as he figured she'd want to stay away from all the commotion. Well, he was about to ruin her plans. He instructed his friends to stay away and neared her position.

"Hey, Leonhart! How did your walk go?" He smirked at her standing right in her line of view.

She raised her eyes slowly, looking at him through half-closed lids, annoyance more than evident in them. She didn't even bother answering him.

He chuckled as he sat next to her. She watched him through the corner of her narrowed eyes. He leaned back placing his arms on the back of the bench, far as not to touch her but close enough to make her weary of his closeness. He glanced sideways at her, once again resisting the almost need to get closer.

"D'you hear about the Communication Tower in Dollet?" She raised an eyebrow. She hadn't heard about it, she didn't need to know about it nor did she cared much for it, really. Still it was relatively important information and she could already tell where he was going with it.

He looked ahead at nothing in particular as he continued. "We would've been heroes if it weren't for that withdraw order."

She snorted. As if he'd gone after those soldiers for any reason other than wanting to pick a fight!

He looked back at her. There they'd go again, seemed they were only good while they were pushing each other's buttons.

"You've got something to say?"

"… No."

He sighed. And was about to push the matter, when a loudspeaker clicked on and started transmitting a message.

"All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway."

"I repeat: All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the 2nd floor hallway."

The speaker clicked once more, indicating the end of its message.

Seifer got up, standing in front of her once more, actually preventing her from standing herself. She looked up at his smirking face as he stepped to the side, offering her a hand to help her up.

"Shall we go… and fulfill our destiny?" He said in the most courteous tone he could while still smirking.

She didn't take his hand, it would surprise the hell outta him if she did, she just got up with a glare and moved around him. Shrugging, he followed her towards the lift.

They got into the lift together along with some other cadets of different squads, a tall girl with short fiery red hair and a boy with long black hair. Their eyes widened when they saw those two walking together, and immediately started whispering to each other when all were inside the elevator. Seifer sent them a backwards glare and they silenced instantly.

On the second floor, Schala and Seifer were directed to where squads A and B were gathered as the other two teens walked towards a different corridor. As they reached the hall, the other cadets who had taken the test were lounging and waiting impatiently for the test results. They could see Sorphan talking to his other team members as Zanya was pacing around, obviously extremely nervous.

Schala didn't approached either of them, leaning against a nearby wall as Seifer walked to the middle of the hall, standing right at the blonde martial artist's path. She was singing a low mantra "C'mon, hurry up. C'mon, hurry up.", and only noticed him right before she bumped into him.

"Watch where you're going, Scaredy-cat." Her angry reply was cut off as a man in a long red robe and a weird yellow hat approached them.

The Garden Faculty member carried a pallet with some papers and as he flipped through them the hall tensed in anticipation.

"From Squad A… Tilmitt, Sorphan Tilmitt."

The boy whooped in happiness, his companions congratulating him as he moved past the robed figure towards the lift, waving and winking at his recently acquired friends.

The Faculty member shook his head before continuing.

"From Squad B…" He stopped for a bit, unknowingly to the teens, his eyes widened. He never assumed this one would ever make it to SeeD. "Dincht, Zanya Dincht."

The girl took a moment before registering his words and then she jumped high. "OHHHHH YEAHHHHH!!" She cheered, running off quickly after waving back at the rest. "See ya!!"

Again, the Faculty member could only shake his head, fearing the future of SeeD.

"Leonhart, Schala Leonhart."

The girl raised her eyes as she leaned off the wall, and calmly and silently, walked towards the rest of the approved cadets. The robed man was surprised and relieved that at least one of them could act accordingly. He looked down at his papers. There was one more name on the list.

"Almasy, Seifer Almasy."

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hey there! One more chappy, hope you liked it XD!!_

_Ok, I hope I have a few surprised people here, please correct me if I'm wrong. No, you didn't read it wrong, Seifer has made it into SeeD! Allow me to explain, **clears throat**… It is my belief that the only reason why Seifer doesn't pass in the game is because he left the others behind. I can imagine Cid overlooking his disobeying orders, this time, especially since, thanks to him, they were able to ascertain the Galbadian's true objective. But, he would never allow into SeeD someone that didn't care about their companions…_

_Anyway, it's my story and I'm the boss here, so what I "write", goes. End of story ;P._

_Next is… THE BALL!! Stay tuned!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	9. Chapter 9: A Different Dance

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII…but if you wanna give it to me, I won't say no…_

**Chapter 9 – ****A Different Dance**

**  
**

Up in the headmaster's office, the five students who had completed the exam stood in attention in front of Cid. He looked at them, a slight nostalgic smile played on his lips as he focused on their faces, many of which he'd seen grow, others he remembered from what felt like a past life.

A Garden Faculty approached him, but he motioned him to leave before he even got close, the robed figure stood to the side but remained in the room.

"First of all, congratulations." He smiled again as he saw some of them unable to suppress a proud smile. His face hardened a bit. "However…" The smiles disappeared from the former cadets' faces. "… From now on, as a member of SeeD, you will de dispatched all over the world." He started pacing in front of them. "We are proud to introduce SeeD, Balamb Garden's mercenary soldiers. SeeD soldiers are combat specialists."

"However, there is more to being a SeeD…"

He stopped in front of a dark haired young man. "You must be aware of the events around you, so that you act accordingly and as safely as possible."

Next was Sorphan. "You must pursue your objectives with conviction and tenacity despite of the hardships you may encounter."

Zanya stiffened as Cid stood before her. "You must provide support and aid to those around you."

He halted by Schala, her icy blue eyes fixing on the elder man. "You must have a moderate sense of self-sacrifice, so to ensure the success of the mission, and the safety of your comrades."

Last was Seifer, the headmaster noted he was unusually serious, the weight of becoming a SeeD finally setting on his shoulders. "You must_follow orders_…" He said meaningfully. "… but, always be mindful of your surroundings, so that carefully and thoughtfully, be able to think on the best course of action."

He turned his back on the SeeDs as he moved to his original position, in front of them.

"You see…" He paused, his eyes closed, pondering his words. "… I don't want you all to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves." He paused again opening his eyes and looking forward at nothing in particular. "There are more to SeeD than just the fighting… When the time comes…"

The Garden Faculty, behind Cid cleared his throat before speaking. "Headmaster…" Cid turned, his eyes angry at the interruption. The robed man seemed unfazed. "It's almost time for the meeting. Please finish this off quickly."

He stepped forward, towards the new SeeDs and it took all of the headmaster's self-control to hide his emotions from his underlings.

"SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependant on each one of you. Handle your mission with care." He turned back at a silently fuming Cid. "Is that what you wanted to say, sir?" He reluctantly nodded. "Here is your SeeD report!" He finished, handing a few sheets of paper onto the headmaster.

Cid returned a tired smile to his features as he picked up the papers and advanced, once more, to the SeeDs. He neared the dark haired young man, handing him his report and whispering to him.

"Psst… Psst… (Do your best, even if you don't stand out.)"

He shook the boy's hand and moved onto Sorphan, repeating his motions.

"Psst… Psst… (I'm looking forward to the Garden Festival.)"

Sorphan smiled as the headmaster approached Zanya.

"Psst… Psst… (Try to control your emotions a little.)"

The girl blushed, nodding her "_I will! I will!"_ Cid reached Schala. The girl raised her eyes to meet him as he placed her report in her hands, whispering.

"Psst… Psst… (Loosen up a bit, hmm!)"

She turned her gaze from the elder man in consideration of his words. He stepped in front of Seifer, the young man standing in complete attention, not able to suppress a smile as he received his report. Cid gave him an amused smile.

"Psst… Psst… (It was about time, son.)"

Seifer chuckled, nodding his "_I agree!"_ and the headmaster walked back to the center of the room, turning to face them once more.

"This ends the SeeD inauguration. The official inauguration ball should begin in a few minutes. Have fun…" He suddenly stood in a serious pose. "… That's an order! Dismissed!"

The new SeeDs saluted and turned to leave the headmaster's office. They stayed in the small hall, each with their eyes analyzing each one's report. Nida (the dark haired teen… if you don't know :p) stood alone in a corner seeing his scores. Sorphan and Zanya were looking at each other's reports, constantly commenting on them.

"Hey, you got an 'Outstanding' in battle skills!! Congratz!" Said Sorphan, really happy for his friend.

"Yeah! But you got more 'Aces' than me… our ranks turned out basically the same!" Zanya was comparing their scores with enthusiasm. She then turned to the others. "Schala! How were yours!?"

"None of your business." She coldly told her off, not even turning to face them.

Sorphan walked slowly and silently around her. "Oh, c'mon. Don't be like that!" Then he whipped the page right from her hands, his height giving him an unfair advantage. She turned to glare at him, but he was already checking her scores, along with Zanya, completely ignoring her.

Both stood to the side, their mouths agape in shock that it took them a while to react.

"… You got top scores in every subject!!"

They both jumped back as she took back her report with the same swiftness the tall boy had used earlier. They didn't even notice her approaching. She sent them one last glare before heading to the elevator, calling it up to their floor.

Seifer smirked. _Top score, as expected._ He looked down at his own report. His original grades were also top notch, however… there was a small note at top right corner of the page. '_SeeD rank has been diminished due to the fact the main orders were disobeyed._' So his rank was considerably lower, though that wasn't the main point there. He was a SeeD now and he was confident he would ascend through the ranks fairly easily. He crumbled the sheet of paper, shoving it in his pocket, and headed towards the elevator that had already arrived.

Everyone got into the lift. They were relatively silent on the way down, Nida still in a corner, happiness and nervousness showing in his posture. Sorphan and Zanya were whispering something while Schala was casually leaning against the glassed walls. Seifer watched her, smiling. He was sure she must have been happy, but she just refused to show it. She was as good at hiding her emotions as Fujin. That thought made him smile wider.

They reached the ground floor, all exiting the elevator and nearing the access steps. Then they stopped. All the other students, instructors and SeeDs stood in the main hall. Upon seeing their arrival, they all started clapping, welcoming the teens into the SeeD core.

Sorphan and Nida started to fidget nervously, embarrassed by the attention they were getting. Zanya was waving around, yelling her "_Thanks_" at everyone, making some of them laugh at her antics. Schala just looked at the crowd and Seifer watched her. He approached her slowly. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she only noticed him when he was standing right at her side.

"We made it. We're Seeds." He said out loud, more to himself than her, his eyes staring at a distance. She watched him through half-opened eyelids, wondering where he was going with this. He turned to her, his face unusually serious. His intense sea green eyes locked on her stormy blue and, not for the first time in their lives, time seemed to stop for them.

They were soon interrupted when they heard Quentin congratulating all of them for their accomplishment. He stopped, talking to Sorphan and Zanya. Seifer tore his eyes away from her, waving at his approaching friends and joining them as they walked through the crowd. Schala followed him with her eyes, she then closed them and was about to leave for the dorms when a voice called out to her.

"Hi there!" Quentin greeted her as he came closer. She saw the other teenagers going down the stairs, loosing themselves in the sea of people bellow. "Excellent work on the exam. Congratulations, you deserved it." She lowered her head to the side. He smiled, knowing perfectly well it was her way of dealing with compliments. "Now, there's the dance…" He watched amusedly as she frowned. She wasn't too fond of social gatherings. "I'll see you there." He said as he walked away.

The crowd was scattering around, most probably getting ready for the ball. On her end, however, Schala just wanted to get back to her room, have a nice warm shower, and sleep the whole night long. So, she started walking towards her dorm room.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Took you long enough!" Zanya said happily.

She was dressed in the SeeD uniform, the standard one for women with no adjustments this time. Though she looked good, it somehow didn't seem to fit very well with her active personality. The skirt seemed all but practical in battle. But what rattled on Schala's head was what she was doing in her room.

"What are you doing here?" She inquired. No one should be able to get into the dorms unless they had a key.

"Huh!? What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

She sighed. "What are you doing here and how did you get in?" She asked again, her right hand on her hip.

"I live here." Was her immediate response. She shrugged, still not getting the question. She watched as the brunette girl frowned._There's a serious failure to communicate here_. Zanya thought, now completely confused. "That's my room, over there." She added, pointing to the second room of the double dorm.

Schala's frown deepened. She was her roommate… really?

Zanya tilted her head. "I've slept there for the past four years. Don't you remember?"

Schala kept her unwavering gaze, confirming the blonde girl's fears. She hanged her head, shaking it. One usually wouldn't forget the one they share a dorm with for four years like that. She raised her head, shrugging. That was just like Schala, really. She saw as the taller girl walked past her, just about to enter her room and turned to face her.

"Hey! Hurry up, will ya!" The other girl turned. "The dance is about to start, I don't want to be late." _I don't want to get there and all the food is gone._

Schala frowned again. "Excuse me!?"

"Instructor Trepe… well, actually since we're both SeeDs now I should call him Quentin! That'd be weird though… and he's still an instructor, maybe I should just…" She stopped as she saw the other girl look at her with an annoyed expression, arms crossed under her chest. The martial artist cleared her throat before continuing. "Instr… Quentin has given me specific orders to make sure you attend the ball. So… hurry up and get changed."

She tried to suppress a shiver. Schala's eyes were in full ice cold mode. Who did they think they were, trying to control her life? She stared till the other girl actually shivered, composing herself quickly.

"C'mon, Schala! It might be fun… You don't even have to stay long, just make an appearance."

She maintained her stare for a while, but eventually she gave up. Muttering a low "Fine", she entered her room to change, slamming the door behind her.

Zanya let go a breath she didn't realize she was holding, leaning against the wall as she waited.

Roughly ten minutes later, the door opened and Zanya leaned off the wall. She stared for a while before gaining a big smile.

"Heeey! Lookin' good!"

Schala was also dressed in the SeeD uniform, and contrary to Zanya it suited her real nice, showing her curves. What surprised Zanya the most was her hair, it seemed… combed and it looked great. It was loose, like she normally wore, but most of the strains that fell on her face were pulled back by hair-pins, something she would never thought the other girl had. Some stray hairs were left, framing her face and it really went well with the more formal attire she was wearing.

"Alright! Let's hit that PAAH-TAY!!" She cheered as she almost dragged the reluctant girl out the dorm's door.

OOOOOOOOOO

The Ballroom already had a lot of people wandering around, some dancing, others talking or, to Zanya's horror, eating. Both girls stood on top of the stairs that lead to the dance floor as the band was playing a known tune.

Zanya stepped in front of Schala. "It's really true, huh? We're finally SeeDs." She had this goofy smile as her eyes skipped from the salad bar to the hot-dog stand. "Well, put it there!" She said suddenly, stretching her hand forward.

Schala looked down to her hand then up back at her sky-blue eyes. They stood there for a few seconds before the blonde girl sighed, hanging her head.

"I guess some things will never change. Well, that's typical of you." She raised her head, smiling. "See ya." She waved and ran off in the general direction of the food tables.

Schala watched as the girl disappeared from sight. Sighing, she looked around the room, not exactly looking for someone in particular, but looking for a quiet, secluded space where she could stay out of everyone's way. She walked towards her hiding spot of choice, between two columns, picking up a champagne cup on the way.

Her chosen place, however, seemed to fail in its prerequisites, since mere moments after she stood there, a skipping Sorphan crossed her line of vision.

"Hey, Schala!" He seemed kinda nervous. She just raised her gaze to see him. "Just wondering… Wanna join the Garden Festival committee?" She raised an eyebrow, extracurricular activities weren't really her _thing_… especially when it involved working in something like that. "You can help out whenever you have time. Pleeeeaaase?" He asked, that same innocent pleading look on his face.

There was something about him, and that look that confused her to the point of agreeing to whatever he said. His persuasive skills were something to keep an eye out in the future. So, she was surprised to find herself, once more, saying yes to him.

His eyes widened. "REALLY!?" Then he whooped, jumping high in celebration. "Whoo-hoo! I know we'll be busy with a lot of SeeD stuff, but let's work hard on the Garden Festival, too. Bye!" He smiled and waved as he ran off, already locking in his next victim. "S'cuse me! You, right there!"

She was left standing there, looking ahead while wondering: _What just happened?_

Several minutes passed, the music kept playing, almost making her relax. Her eyes strayed upwards. Watching the starry sky through the skylight, she suddenly noticed a shooting star. Her face softened. Bits and pieces of forgotten memories flooded her mind. A flowery field. A stone house. A beach, laying on the sand while looking up at the night sky, a black ceiling filled with sparkling dots. A shooting star…

She shook her head as she looked down, dismissing her thoughts. Her eyes trailed onto the middle of the dance floor, her attention drawn to a young man standing there, looking up at her shooting star. As if feeling her gaze, he turned and smiled, looking at her attentively. He then pointed up like he was asking "_Was that yours?_" to her.

She tilted her head to the side, looking at him closely. He was lean, not very muscled but toned in the right places. He wore a classy black polo-necked sweater and formal dark blue trousers covering shiny black shoes. His short raven hair was neatly combed backwards, a couple of loose strains falling over his dark brown eyes. His features were soft and he looked at her with an interested stare.

_That girl is kinda cute._ He thought, looking at her from a distance. _Especially for a SeeD, elite mercenary force… her eyes…_ Something about her stare seemed to call to him. Curiosity overcame him and he walked towards her.

She stiffened slightly as she noticed his approach. _What does this one want?_ She wondered, but made no attempts to evade him or stop his advancement.

He stopped right in front of her, staring at her amazing blue eyes, that he noted, seemed to have some grey in them, making it look like they were cloudy, stormy and just felt like they were seeing right through him. He looked at her face, perfect apart from the scar between her eyes. Certainly, a mark gained in some horrendous beast in some dangerous mission. His eyes fell back on her eyes, and for a moment, he was lost.

"Hi, there. What is a pretty girl like you doing hiding in a corner, like this?" _Hyne, talk about the lamest pick up line, ever_. He felt like slapping himself but resisted it. He looked back at her and didn't see a reaction. He found that rather odd, did she not hear him? For a second he was almost thankful she hadn't. He heard the band starting to play one of his favorite songs and his eyes went back at hers. "Hmm… will you give me the honor of a dance?" He asked, reaching his right hand forward for her to take. A pretty girl like that, even if she was dumb as a doorknob, or didn't speak English… or at all, it'd be better than standing in the middle of the dance floor alone.

Schala just stared at him. _Dance?_ Her thoughts strayed once more as she moved slightly to the side, observing the dancing couples behind him. She remembered her classes. Dancing lessons were mandatory in SeeD training. She could still hear her instructor's words: "_Approach your target inconspicuously at a dance party… There may be missions requiring this sort of subterfuge. It's expected of SeeD to learn various skills_." That's what she'd say every time someone asked why they had to learn how to dance.

He saw her looking at the people dancing behind him. "Yes, dancing. Like that" He said, pointing at them. Still, there was no response. She just stared at him, and though he felt he could loose himself in her eyes, he preferred there was more to the girl than just a pretty face. He closed his eyes, giving up. As he sighed, he thought he heard something.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

He raised his eyes slowly, blinking several times. He thought he heard something, but it was such an angelic voice, soft and sweet. For the second time that night, he was stunned. He didn't register her words, just her voice and wasn't even sure it had come from the girl in front of him.

"Huh…?" Was the only sound he managed to let out. He was completely dumbfounded, stammering like an idiot.

She turned her gaze back at him, raising an eyebrow at his expression. Tilting her head, she spoke again.

"I don't feel like dancing."

_It was her voice._ He finally believed it, watching her lips move as that heavenly sound sang in his ears, he was sure it was really her voice. Only seconds after did he understand what she'd said.

"But, you know how to dance, right?" He added leaning, his hand still in front of her in invitation.

"Well, yeah… but…" She answered, a bit offended that he could think she only refused because she didn't know how.

She waved her right hand, emphasizing her words but he got hold onto it with his own. He walked around her, placing his left hand in her waist, and gently pushing her towards the dance floor.

"H-hey! Wh-what are doi…?" She stuttered, trying, not that hard, to get free from his grasp.

"You'll be fine. Come on, I'm looking for someone." He said, as he continued guiding her. She stopped her light struggling, looking back at him with an inquiring look. "I can't be on the dance floor alone." He finished with a smile.

OOOOOOOOOO

Seifer entered the grand Ballroom. Contrary to his usual ways, he wore full SeeD uniform. He figured, since he'd been struggling for so long to get there, he might as well put it on, even if it was just this one time. And it looked really good on him, and he felt so good finally wearing it.

His eyes trailed around the room, holding his breath when they fell on a certain brunette young woman. He watched her closely. The SeeD uniform looked great on her, though he actually preferred her usual attire. He chuckled, she looked bored, hiding in a corner like that, occasionally sipping from the champagne glass in her hand. As he looked at her he felt his heart beating so hard. _Pull yourself together, man!_ He couldn't, though. He was so nervous, fearsome even. But he just had to ask, it might be his only chance to ask her to dance, properly.

He breathed in a new wave of determination, and as he stepped forward something above him called his attention. Looking up he saw a shooting star. He smiled as past memories flashed in his mind. Flowery fields surrounding a stone house near a lighthouse. Lying on sandy beach while looking up at a starry night sky. A shooting star, a brunette young girl smiling tenderly. He missed that smile…

He shook those thoughts away. He'd make her smile again, just like back then. He had vowed to himself to do it. He looked down from the stars, starting to walk as he searched for her with his eyes. He stopped abruptly, his eyes wide in disbelieve.

_WHO THE HELL IS THAT GUY?!_ It took all his self control to keep himself from screaming, but he managed it, barely. This guy, not very tall with short black hair was near her, apparently talking to her. He felt the _blazing flames of jealousy_ not only starting to kindle, but bursting out in an amazing fire, especially when he saw him leaning. The people near him jumped back and got away as it almost felt like a fiery aura was surrounding him.

Then he snapped, that guy had actually dared to touch his woman! Acting way too familiar, holding her in his arms as he led her down to the dance floor. But what really got to him, what made him feel like his heart was being squeezed and ripped straight out of his chest was the fact she didn't fight back. She accepted his advances, any other person attempting such acts would find themselves sprawled down on the floor in five seconds flat…

He felt this ache in his heart that wouldn't fade away. It kept growing stronger and stronger and all he wanted was to scream at the top of his lungs. A waitress passed by him carrying a tray full of drinks. He pulled the girl to the side, making her screech, and took her tray away from her, downing several drinks in one go. The girl whimpered away, leaving the blonde teen to drown his sorrows…

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala didn't resist as the young man, gently, led her to the center of the dance floor under the surprised stares of just about everyone. Reached their destination, he made her twirl so that she was now facing him. She looked a bit confused as he held her right hand in his left and placed her left hand on his shoulder as he placed his right one on her waist, pulling her more closely. She was somewhat nervous but she never flinched.

He led her through the dance as she followed his movements, a bit tensed at first but soon they were gliding around the dance floor expertly._She really does know how to dance._ He thought as he smiled. She was matching his motions perfectly, and many of the people around them gaped in surprise that not only was she dancing, but they were so good at it. They were the star of the ball, all eyes on them.

The music reached its peak, he made her twirl away and back at him and as he held her close, the nightly sky lightened with fireworks. Both looked up, sharing the moment. He looked down and her expression was so beautiful. So relaxed, almost smiling. He looked at her tenderly as the fireworks colors reflected in her face, enhancing her beauty tenfold. He was hypnotized, he would have stayed by her side forever, but he caught some movement through the corner of his eye and turned to see it.

He stiffened slightly, seeing the man he was looking for and had come all the way to Balamb to see. Feeling his stir, she tore her gaze from the sky onto his face. He looked back at her with an apologetic smile as he, reluctantly, let go of his hold on her and stepped back. She looked at him a bit confused, his heart ached but his responsibilities came first.

"I'm sorry, but I…" He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking on what to say but it all sounded foolish. He opened his eyes locking them with hers and smiled. He gave one more step back and bowed, bringing her hand up he kissed it. His thumb caressed her knuckles for a few seconds before he let go and walked away.

She was left in the middle of the dance floor feeling a bit lost, not knowing what to do. She straightened up and calmly walked away, not back to her hiding place but towards a nearby balcony, wanting to get some air.

The raven-haired man turned back to look at her once more, feeling horribly for leaving her. He sighed as he approached an older man in a dark red vest and brown trousers.

"Headmaster Cid?"

OOOOOOOOOO

Seifer was sitting in a nearby table, several empty glasses of champagne were spread all around as he kept his eyes on a certain couple in the middle of the dance floor. If looks could kill, that _pretty boy_ fella would be bleeding through his eyes. He held her close as they moved along with the music, and amidst his drunkenness, he started imagining himself in his position, dancing around with his Schala, holding her in his arms.

His thoughts popped like a bubble as the fireworks erupted in the skies. His mind wondered, again, through his memories, remembering when they lightened those fireworks on the beach, when they were young. He could almost see her smiling face as the many lights reflected in it. That image brought him back to the present, his anger and frustration rising once again.

He looked back at them and was surprised to see him step back. He leaned again, kissing her hand before walking away completely. He dared touch her perfect skin with his lips, lips he vowed to rip off his face with his bare hands. He got up, stumbling slightly, and readied himself to follow the black haired boy and have a little _chat_ with him.

He spared one more look to the girl and his heart ached. She looked lost, he'd just left her there… alone. It seemed impossible that his anger towards that man could grow, but it did. He stormed on, following him with his eyes but forced himself to halt his chase. He was talking to the headmaster. _Lucky bum…_ He wouldn't dare touch him now, not while Cid could see. He'd been thrown outta SeeD for sure, and after all he went through to get there, he couldn't afford to waste his opportunity like that.

His eyes traveled back to the dance floor, but the girl was no longer there. Looking around, he was still in time to see her leaving the Ballroom towards a side balcony. He started to follow her, clumsily walking towards the same balcony.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala stood by the edge of the balcony, alone, thinking about all that had happened to her that day. It had been quite the eventful day, hadn't it?

Her fight with Seifer. Her new scar. The Fire Cavern and the battle against Ifrit. The SeeD exam. And now, this guy that entered her life, confusing her, and abandoning her in less that ten minutes. Was she really that good driving people away…? Her parents, Sis… She shook her head. No, her parents were dead and… She shook her head more vigorously. _STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!_ She yelled at herself._ Just stop thinking at all…_

She sighed as she stayed there, leaning over the sidings, just taking in the scent and the coldness of the night. Someone chuckled behind her but she didn't turn. She'd felt his presence there a few seconds ago. The minutes stretched as the newcomer remained still and silent. Just his presence was starting to grate on her nerves.

"What do you want?" She asked, her tone once more annoyed, contrary to the one she'd used earlier that night.

"You." Came his immediate response.

Her eyes widened and she turned, staring at his smirking face. Sea green locked on stormy blue. He stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I wanna dance with you." _Smooth, Seifer…_

Her eyes narrowed. _What is he going on about?_ She wondered.

"Pass."

He stopped advancing and tilted his head to the side, still smirking. "So… you'll dance with someone you don't even know, but you can't even consider me." His smirk seemed forced, resembling more an angry sneer, as he started to move closer once again. "Or, do you just like that… _pretty boy_ type…" He let go a dry laugh, still approaching.

"What's it with you!? Mind your own business!" She spat out, motioning to move past him.

He grabbed her arm and pushed her against the edge, a hand on each side, pinning her in.

"Seifer, what are…?" She looked up, at his eyes and they were filled with desire and lust. They had never been as intense before, and it made her extremely uneasy and even scared of what he might _try_ to do. Then a scent reached her nose. She frowned as her arms stretched forward, keeping his leaning form at arm's length.

"You're drunk." She said dryly, all signs of fear and nervousness gone.

He laughed. "Maybe a bit tipsy…" He tried to lean closer, but she kept him at a safe distance.

She sighed, shaking her head and it almost seemed like she was disappointed. She gave in a bit and pushed him back forcibly, making him stumble and almost fall. Raising her head, she looked at him straight in the eyes with a disapproving look and started to walk away.

"So… that means you won't dance with me?" He asked, eyes closed and head down, with a half hurt half amused tone as she walked past him in her usual, slow pace.

She stopped just before reentering the ballroom, her eyes fell on the dance floor where a few couples still danced. Amongst them, she noticed instructor Trepe and Xu dancing closely together. She turned her head to the side, not fully turning to see him but in a way that she could see him through the corner of her eyes.

"Ours is a different dance." And she walked away.

Seifer listened to her and took a deep breath. He walked to the edge of the balcony, stopping as he leaned on the rails, his head completely lucid for a second.

"A different dance, huh!?"

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hi there! First of all... __I'm so sorry for the late update, especially considering some of you (if not all ;P, a girl can dream) were longing for this particular event… the ball and the first glimpse at Rinoa-boy… again, sorry for the lateness…_

_But, here it is! The ball, Rinoa-boy and… well… that's it. I hope you liked it! And… well, I can't think of anything else to say, so I guess that's it for now!_

_I'll be reading ya later_

_Revir_


	10. Chapter 10: A Blast From The Past

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… my New Year's resolution? To own it someday…_

**Chapter 10 – A Blast from the Past**

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"Hey, Zanya!"

The blonde girl choked on a mini hot-dog when the young man's voice reached her ears, startling her and deviating her focus from the task at hand. Cleaning out yet another plate filled with the most variant types of appetizers.

Sorphan stepped to her side just as she recovered the ability to breathe, still coughing slightly as she downed a glass of what appeared to be orange juice. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"You ok?" He asked as she regained some color on her cheeks.

She just nodded, finishing her plate before she set her attention back on the brunette boy.

"Say, I was just…"

"No!" She immediately cut him off, not letting him say another word, already suspecting what he was gonna say. Sorphan had been stalking just about anyone he could find, trying to coerce them to join the Garden Festival Committee. She had been watching him wonder the ballroom all night, praying to Hyne he wouldn't come near her.

"What!?" He asked, a bit confused she'd stop him before he could say anything.

"I have no interest whatsoever in joining the Garden Festival Committee, so don't even bother asking!" She clarified, looking at him sideways and already attacking another plate of mini-food.

"Oh, right! That… your strength in moving stuff would actually be a great addition…" He stopped as she glared at him and couldn't prevent a smile creeping into his features. That wasn't what he was going to talk about, really, but since they were on the subject. "Why don't you wanna join, anyway?"

"Because it's boring, and a complete waste of time…" She said between bites, gaining a slightly hurt look from him. "And, you said it yourself, I'd only been moving stuff… really, I have better things to do with my time!"

Sorphan frowned, he could act offended but truth was, he had been taking that attitude from most people all night. However, there was one thing he mentioned that usually changed that.

"Well… Schala joined…" He said calmly, trying to disguise a smug smile.

His amusement turned to worry as the blonde girl was caught up in a horrible coughing stream. She banged her chest repeatedly, trying to force the offensive piece of food out of her airway, either up or down. It was when her color gained a concerning shade of purple that Sorphan started to get really worried. He hurried behind her, his hand rising back and then he launched it forward, hitting her… hard. Zanya was propelled forward, her stomach hitting the rim of the table as her form was thrown over it sending the remaining contents over the table crashing on the floor. The sudden and violent motion caused her to spit out her malady, releasing her from her dire predicament.

She took in deep breaths, sitting back on her chair and calming herself and regaining some color. After a few minutes in which Sorphan kept a tight watch on her, as well as some people that were around and heard the commotion, checking that she was ok, he picked up a chair that had fell, and sat on the table next to her sending her a glare of_"Don't scare me like that again!"_.

She recovered enough to remember what had originated such a breath taking reaction, and as she recalled his last words, her head turned abruptly to face him, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"No way!" She cried out, in a slightly coarse voice, in utter disbelieve.

"Huh!?" He looked at her with a puzzled expression. It took him several moments to connect the dots and realize what she was talking about. "Oh… Yes way." He grinned at her, and had to suppress a laugh at her bewildered face. He'd been seeing that reaction, minus the near death experience, everytime he said that to someone. Was it that hard to believe?

The girl started mumbling to herself, refusing to believe that the _Ice Queen_ could possibly have joined a group whose main function was to organize social gatherings. It was unconceivable, it was as likely as a live, hungry T-Rexaur allow little children to pat him without biting their heads off. Or that Hyne himself would come down to earth and shake her hand. The world as she knew it was over… anything could happen now.

"Huh… Zanya!?" The girl was starting to worry Sorphan again. She seemed catatonic, not reacting as he waved a hand in front of her face. He gave up, sighing and leaning on his seat.

His eyes strayed around the ballroom, and a sad smile played on his lips. He saw the happy couples dancing and several groups of people talking cheerfully, and couldn't stop wondering about his friends back in Trabia.

He noticed one familiar couple leaving the dance floor. That blonde instructor and the dark haired SeeD that had accompanied them on the vessel back were talking to the headmaster. He saw them nodding and saluting before he walked away. The two SeeDs looked around and locked their gazes in their direction just as they started heading their way.

Sorphan straightened up in his chair, shaking Zanya outta her trance.

"Hey, snap out of it!" She raised her head in recognition just as the other SeeDs reached the table.

"Hello there, you two. Having fun?" Quentin smiled as the two new SeeDs nodded their yes, Xu waving and calling someone at the distance. "Headmaster Cid has asked me to deliver these to you." He added as he gave the, now standing teens, one keycard each. They looked down at its inscription, _**SeeD Quarters**_.

"We get new rooms?" Sorphan asked, not accustomed to these facility's proceedings.

"Yeah! Alright! New single rooms, baby!" Zanya said, excitedly. _Not that my roommate ever gave me trouble. _She thought, smiling.

The dark haired young man that Xu was calling out for, approached them and she placed his keycard on his awaiting hands. "And here's yours, Nida." She said with a smile that made him lower his head to hide his blushing cheeks.

"Now, you're to move in to your new rooms as soon as possible." Quentin told them, regaining their attention. "You're to surrender your old keycards to the main desk as soon as the rooms are vacant… Hmm…" He looked down at the envelope he carried. There were still two cards inside. He raised his eyes and scanned the room, not finding what, or more specifically, who he was looking for, he turned back at the others. "Where are Schala and Seifer?"

Zanya shrugged, she hadn't seen her since she brought her in. And, considering her willingness to come in the first place, she wouldn't be surprised if she had already left by now.

"She was standing around there about an hour ago, but now…" Sorphan pointed out the place where he had _cornered_ her a while back, but indeed, she was gone now and he had no idea where she might be.

"She was dancing with a guy…" Nida raised his eyes from his keycard to find four pairs of eyes looking back at him with the most stunned expressions he had ever seen, eyes wide as saucers and jaws hanging like in the cartoons. Luckily for Zanya, she wasn't eating at the moment, 'cause that would have killed her for sure.

_Schala dancing with a guy!? Could it be…Seifer?!_ Quentin mused over the possibility that the blond teenager would have found the courage to make his move, but even if he had asked, would've she said yes? That was unlikely considering their relationship at the moment, still…

"With who?" His voice made most jump outta their thoughts and focus again on Nida.

"Don't know, never seen him before." He answered them, his face serene, though, at the time, he had been as surprised as they were now.

_Not Seifer then. Who could he be, I wonder… _An image flashed into his mind._ I hope Seifer didn't see that…_

As no one said anything, Nida continued. "I haven't seen her after the fireworks, but I heard someone say she left a bit after that."

Quentin nodded, thanking him for the information. "And Seifer, anyone seen him?" The rest shook their heads.

Xu tugged gently on his vest. "There's Rajin, he might know."

"Great, thanks… hmm, Zanya! Would you mind giving this to Schala? You're in the same dorm, right?" The girl nodded as Quentin gave her the other girl's card and, waving back at them, both him and Xu walked over at the bulky, dark skinned teenager.

Nida took his leave, heading for the dorms leaving Sorphan and Zanya near the table.

"Well, I guess I'll have to move my stuff around. I didn't even have time to unpack my things, moving should be easy." The brunette said, stretching a bit and looking back at the blond martial artist, that didn't appear hungry anymore. Seemed like all that shocking information made her loose her appetite. So, they both walked out of the ballroom towards the dorms.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala entered her dorm and headed for her room, closing the door behind her. She removed the SeeD uniform, jacket, skirt and boots, and let herself fall on the bed, eyes focused on the ceiling. An hour before she would have given everything to be able to lay there and sleep till morning… however it was different now. She had spent the entire walk back from the ballroom trying to shove unwanted thoughts and memories of the last minutes onto inaccessible corners of her brain, but everytime she closed her eyes, intense sea green eyes looked back at her.

Seifer had eyed her before. She was somewhat used to his behavior, though it still grated on her nerves. That night had been different. That night he seemed out of control, whatever restrains he had set onto himself before were gone and all his raw emotions were flaring out. Sure, he was drunk, but still… she was so confused.

_Damn you!_ She cursed inward, unable to ease her mind. She didn't even feel tired anymore, almost like she'd been zapped and an electrical current was coursing through her veins preventing her rest.

She sat up on the bed. This was getting her nowhere, she needed blow some steam and knew just the place to do it.

She got off her bed and walked towards a chair where she had laid the clothes from earlier that day. She got dressed and went to her dresser. Her hand passed over her gunblade case, her fingers caressing the raised Griever pardon embossed on its cover. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, lingering onto a warm familiar feeling she wasn't sure where it came from.

Sea green eyes flashed in her mind the second she closed her eyes, making her open them instantly locking her gaze in the mirror ahead of her. She frowned as she stared at her reflection, at the mark between her eyes. Glaring at herself, she took hold of her gunblade and stormed outta the room, slamming both doors behind her.

The halls were completely deserted and the silence and peacefulness calmed her slightly as she walked towards the only area opened after curfew, the Training Center.

She stepped over the green covered floor, already seeing the heavy blast (Jurassic Park like) doors at the end of the corridor. The doors were open and she stepped inside. The wide enclosure resembled a tropical forest in every way, the dense vegetation surrounding the few man made paths that allowed a deeper penetration into the wild domain.

She looked around, unsheathing her weapon and growing alert of her surroundings. If there were something she could go without, it was a monster sneaking up on her. She left the secondary safe zone, the small area directly in front of the entrance that was covered in motion detectors allowing the activation of security measures in case of a monster outbreak, and headed deep into the jungle.

OOOOOOOOOO

The small door screeched open revealing a small balcony like area. There were a few people, a few couples, sitting and enjoying each other's warmth, fighting the coldness of the dark night.

"I haven't been here in a while." The blonde instructor sighed out as he entered the 'secret area' feeling the cold air on his face.

All of the other occupants of the small division looked at the newcomer, many shifting uncomfortably and some even fearsome of some disciplinary action against them for breaking curfew. Quentin smiled reassuringly at them, raising a finger to his mouth in a silence sign. _"I won't tell if you don't"_ it meant, and all of them breathed in relief.

He stepped to the side, allowing entrance to his companion. The woman wore a grey sleeveless bodysuit that covered her lower neck and left her shoulders bare. She had low waist, beige short shorts that had straps holding grey leggings going from her thighs over at her dark brown boots. She also had dark grey cloth sleeves covering her arms from above the elbows to her hands held by silver bracers. Her dual silver sais were sheathed on loose straps on her shorts. The more casual attire seemed more practical for battle than the SeeD uniform she usually sported.

Several heads turned to the unexpected couple. Xu smiled as she approached the railings with Quentin by her side. She leaned over, gazing at the Garden's lightened structure. The facility looked magnificent in the day, but splendorous at night.

"What time is it?" She absented mindedly asked.

"It's after midnight…" He replied after a quick glance at his watch.

She leaned further, supporting her elbows in the railings and smiling as she closed her eyes. "It's been a long day… but everything turned out alright."

"Yeah…" He sighed.

Xu raised her eyes to his face. "Is that all you're gonna say? You're kidding, right? I can't remember the last time a whole squad made it to SeeD in one go!" She stared at him intently, detecting the smile he was unsuccessfully trying to hide and sporting a smile of her own.

"I must confess I was rather surprised. Especially by Seifer's promotion… I still don't understand how or why he made it! I mean, he disobeyed orders, put his team at risk, caused serious damage to half of Dollet…" He stopped as a soft hand caressed his face gently recalling his attention to the woman beside him. He looked down at her, her expression between amusement and annoyance.

"You didn't bring me here to talk about Seifer, I hope…"

Quentin stared down at her almost pouting face and was hypnotized by her deep chocolate eyes. He leaned closer, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close.

"Most definitely not."

"… Good!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala rushed over the wooden bridge over the large lake on the Training Center Southeast corner, leaving a trail of dead Grats behind her as several other plant-like monsters gave chase. She half-turned, sending a few fire spells their way. The flames irrupted over two of them, their screeches filling in the silent surroundings.

She reached the shore, stopping and turning fully. The beasts quickly surrounded her, waving their long tentacles menacingly. Her eyes darted from one to another, she counted six around her and readied herself. Grats weren't exactly though opponents, but they could become somewhat troublesome in large numbers. She wasn't gonna let them corner her.

She launched her arms to the sides, each casting a fire spell and hitting two Grats on opposite sides of the small circle they'd made around her. The second the spells hit, she charged forward evading four tentacles from the two monsters' ahead of her. She dodged and rolled around them getting closer and slashed clean through one of them bringing her gunblade back in time to parry the other Grat's attack. She pushed its tentacles away, stepping closer and stabbing her blade straight through the beast's mouth. The tentacles, that were about to strike at her again, lowered, falling limply on the hard ground as the green sap oozed outta its owner's body.

Schala turned and ducked just in time to avoid another assault from the remaining monsters. She jumped to the side and sent one more spell at one of them, making it irrupt in flames while bringing her weapon up to defend against the last one's dangerous vines. One tentacle wrapped around her gunblade, limiting her movements as its other kept trying to hit her. She moved around and, twisting her blade, she managed to cut its restraint, catching both vines in one swing.

She stared as a green thick fluid flowed from the Grat's severed tendrils. The monster screeched, waving the damaged members aimlessly. She cast one more fire spell, placing the aching creature out of its misery.

Schala straightened up, looking around her in search of any possible hidden threat. Satisfied that it was safe for now, she cleaned the green sap from her blade stepping away from the fresh corpses. Two steps out and she stopped, growing alert. She felt the earth shaking slightly, then again and again, whatever it was it was getting closer. From experience she could only assume that what was coming was a… her eyes widened as realization struck and she rushed forward, toward the rock formation ahead.

As she was just a few meters away, a massive T-Rexaur burst through the tree line, throwing vegetation all around the clearing. The pre-historic beast scanned the area, seeing all the dead monsters and something else moving away. It felt the thrill of the hunt rising and growled, the chilling sound echoed throughout the dome, only making her run faster.

The beast started its chase and it covered the distance between them in the time it took her to reach the rocks. She jumped and rolled just as the T-Rexaur's mouth came crashing down, getting stuck in the small gap. The beast trashed at the rocks, unable to reach the girl who remained sitting on the ground, catching her breath, the monster's impressive sharp teeth centimeters away from her.

Resigned that it could not reach its prey, the T-Rexaur turned and with one last growl, returned to the forest.

Schala took a deep breath, calming herself as she rose to her feet. She saw carefully as the monster fell outta sight but it would take several minutes before she left the relative safety of that small rocky area. Examining her surroundings, her eyes fell upon a metallic door on the east corner.

_The Secret Area…_ Truth was she had never gone inside it. When she came to the Training Center it was to kill stuff not to go into a secluded hidden room, which everybody knew about, to make out. At least that was what she'd unwillingly heard from the other students around Garden.

She sighed and stretched, the tiredness was finally starting to make itself feel again. _Time to go back._ She decided, but as she was turning to leave, the door she'd noticed earlier opened with a screech. She looked at it sideways as two figures exited the room.

"I really thought I heard something…" A somewhat familiar female voice reached her ears.

"I didn't hear anything. Still, we should go anyway, it's getting rather late." An also familiar, this time male, voice made itself hear. The couple stepped out into the artificial light still engrossed in conversation and it didn't seem like they had noticed her yet.

"You're right, we should go ba…" The dark haired woman's eyes widened considerably as she had finally acknowledge the other brunette's presence.

"Xu? What's wro…" Quentin asked when he saw her surprised expression. Following her line of sight, his eyes quickly found what had stunned his companion.

They were busted, caught in the act. The only reason they didn't make their relationship public was that it was discouraged between SeeD members to have a personal bond, so as to avoid hesitation and personal feelings to come in the way in a mission. That and the Trepies would have a fit!

Upon recognizing the couple, Schala only raised an eyebrow at who they were. She was a bit surprised, but it really was none of her business so she got ready to leave when a voice stopped her,

"Schala!" She turned, her eyes resting in the face of the caller. "It's not what you think! We… ahmm… we were…" Xu stuttered slightly, looking at the taller SeeD and asking for help to devise a decent enough excuse for both their presence there.

"Curfew! Yeah, we were checking if anyone had sneaked into the Secret Area after curfew." He hastily responded, Xu nodding her head beside him.

The brunette girl in front of them just stared, eyebrow raised, at their obvious attempt at hiding their little outing. She really didn't care…

"Yeah!" Xu added, still nervously nodding her head. "This is a place were couple come to cuddle after curfew and we were just acting on defense of Garden's regulations." That sounded lame even for her.

"Right! We…" Quentin was about to continue their silly charade, but he noticed her bored and annoyed expression looking back. For a moment back there, in the confusion of being caught red-handed, he forgot who he was talking to. "… You don't really care, do you?"

The look he got in return said it all. Nopes, she couldn't care less that they were together as sure as the sun would rise again tomorrow. Both SeeDs finally allowed to ease their hearts, Xu letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. They looked at each other and smiled but their attention changed back at the other girl as she was starting to leave.

"Schala, wait!" And she stopped again at Quentin's call, half turning to see them. He looked down at Xu who smiled and nodded, silently agreeing with him. He smiled, she always seemed to know what he was thinking. "We'll walk back with you."

She rolled her blue eyes, muttering a "Do as you wish", and resumed her walk without even checking they were behind her.

They followed her, keeping her pace just slightly distant. Quentin was beside himself, he had never been caught so off guard. _I was trained to be sneaky and stuff and I'm like 'Hi! Curfew checking! Abide by Garden rules!…' Could we have been less convincing?_ He sighed inaudibly. _I guess I should be relieved Schala was the one to see us like that…_

Their return was calm and uneventful. As they were descending back to the entrance, on a path were several trees had been knocked out and half covered their way, a scream echoed all around them.

"Somebody help!!" The female voice sounded at a distance, and she seemed to be in trouble.

Schala froze for just a second, but it was one of the longest seconds in her life. Something snapped inside of her and she was consumed by this deep rage and concern. Her body moved on its own as she rushed down the path before the others could even register what was going on.

"Schala! Wait up!" But Quentin's yell never reached her. She didn't hear anything, the only thing on her mind was the need to save that person whose voice she didn't know, but recognized.

"What a…" He hesitated for a while, that wasn't like her to just rush in. Quentin looked down at Xu, both nodding their heads and followed after her.

Schala took a shortcut through the vegetation, arriving at the clearing from behind a fallen young woman. She jumped in just as a large insect-like monster dove for the kill. Her gunblade cut the air and the large creature, forcing it to back up.

She stood between the Granaldo and its victim, her eyes completely focused on her opponent she didn't even noticed the woman she was protecting. Short brown hair, blue shirt and white long skirt, brown eyes looking up in fright. Until she noticed the brunette girl standing in front of her, protectively. She remembered having their positions reversed, so long ago.

"Schala…" The woman whispered and she felt safe. Somehow she knew, she was going to be alright.

Hearing her name made Schala awake from her trance. Only then did she turn to see who the woman was and, her image along with her voice made her remember. _In the infirmary? Who is she…_

"Schala! Watch out!!"

The other SeeD's warning came just in time, making her turn and block the insect's vicious tail attack. The other two were soon by her side, standing their ground as three rock-like small monsters burst in from the tree line, positioning themselves below the other one.

The woman's eyes shifted to the newcomers, focusing on the long blond haired man. "Quentin?"

The instructor spared her a glance, frowning slightly. He didn't know this person, who could she be? And how did she know him? His musings would have to wait, the battle at hand requiring his full attention.

"Xu, take care of her." He said, signaling the girl behind them. The dark haired SeeD nodded her comply, stepping back to check up on her as Quentin stepped up to help the other girl defeat the monsters.

Xu kneeled down next to the woman, examining her for injuries. "Are you alright?" She asked as the woman didn't waver her eyes from the two teens striking at the winged beast ahead.

"Schala… Quentin…" She muttered slowly.

"They'll be fine!" The woman finally tore her eyes from the battle focusing them on the dark haired SeeD. "They do this all the time." She finished smiling.

The woman looked at her in doubt, but eyes did not lie and soon she was reassured by her words. She smiled as well, looking back at the others.

Meanwhile, Schala was fending off the Granaldo and two of the much smaller Raldos as the blonde instructor stepped by her side.

"Need a hand?" She didn't answer, making Quentin smile as he cracked his whip at the large bug, effectively attracting its attention.

The Granaldo shook its tail, screeching, and immediately one of the Raldos positioned itself directly bellow. Thrusting its tail, the flying insect hit the other creature at full force, sending it flying at the instructor's head. Quentin rolled outta the way just in time to avoid it, the beast landing near the two girls. Xu propelled herself to her feet, approaching it with a jump and stabbing her sai into its soft tissue. The beast grumbled and squirmed before dying and she immediately returned to the other woman.

After its throw, the Granaldo refocused on the gunblader, sending its long sharp claws out only to have them deflected by a swing of her blade. The remaining Raldos rolled around her, tripping her and making her fall to the ground. She rolled to the side, avoiding the bug's spike and as it was to attack again it was stopped by a black chain. Quentin kept his hold on the creature as Schala rose back to her feet, sending two fire spells at the smaller creature, damaging but not finishing them off.

The large insect almost made the blonde SeeD trip as it suddenly charged at him. With great agility, Quentin jumped to the side, releasing the whip and casting a fire on his opponent. The monster screamed and, having a Raldo beneath him, was ready to send it flying towards the blonde's head when something pierced its wing, throwing it off and pinning it to a nearby tree.

Xu's silver sai glittered in the deficient lighting, effectively restricting the large insect's movements. Quentin turned, sending her a smile before turning back at the immobilized beast. He cast a fire spell not only at the beast, but the tree as well, creating an imposing bonfire. The Granaldo screeched and squirmed but it could not get free and soon it was gone, Quentin casting a blizzard to avoid the fire from spreading.

He turned to see that Schala had, easily, dispatched the other Raldos, watching the insect's end so as to make sure it was truly over. The brunette turned to check on the others while he retrieved the other SeeD's weapon and joined her.

They stepped closer and just as they were gonna say something, two figure in white uniforms, a male and a female, showed up outta nowhere, kneeling beside the unknown woman.

Xu rose and stepped back from the new arrivals, not sensing ill intentions from them, and joined the other SeeDs as they silently watched them helping the woman up.

"It is not safe here. Please, let's go." The woman in white said softly.

"… Alright." She sighed, resigned at the veracity of her statement.

They walked out, towards the entrance, the man in white nodding their thanks at the SeeDs as the strange woman stole one last glance, locking her eyes with Schala's. And then, they were gone. By the time they reached the safety area and the corridor after it, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Who was that…?" Quentin wondered as they stepped out of the green halls. Xu could only shrug, having no idea.

Schala didn't react, walking away and slowly returning to the dorm area. Quentin stepped up after her, calling out.

"Schala!" Suppressing a tired sigh, the girl half turned, catching the instructor's frame through the corners of her eye. "Zanya must still be looking for you, she has your new room's key. You'd do well to find her before you call it a day." And, wrapping an arm around the other SeeD's waist, they walked away passing by the brunette that was silently cursing her luck.

She reached the dorm area soon after that, and as she feared, the shorter blond brawler stood there waiting for her.

"Finally! There you are!" She cried out, louder than she should, as she approached the other girl. "Where the hell were you? I was lookin' all over the place." Realizing she might have been making too much noise for such a late hour, she brought her voice down a notch before she continued. Though her enthusiastic manner remained. "We're both now members of SeeD, right? Well, guess what!?..."

"We got new rooms." She said calmly, her frown ever so present on her face.

"We got our… Hey! Who told?" She cried out, again loudly, in indignation for not being the one to tell her. She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting in disappointment.

Rolling her eyes, the brunette stepped closer to the blonde, stretching her hand forward. "Can I have my new cardkey?"

Zanya broke out of her grumbling, starting to search her pockets for the elusive card. Smiling in triumph, she handed the taller girl her card. "The new room's number is right there, it's in a different hall but hard to miss. And don't worry, we already moved your stuff, not like you had much to move anyway…"

Schala narrowed her eyes, not daring to imagine the state she would find her things in once she entered her new room.

"We?" She inquired, remembering her words.

"Yeah, Sorphan helped me move my stuff. Then we figured, since I couldn't find you any sooner, might as well save you the trouble! Girl, it took me forever!" She fumbled around in her pockets, and remembering something, she added, waving a couple of keycards in her hand. "By the way, the old card is to be given at the main desk. If you gimme yours, I can drop them both there tomorrow."

The brunette girl shrugged, handing Zanya her old card. The other girl smiled, grabbing the card and stuffing it in her pocket.

"Ok, then. G'night!" Schala nodded, both in thanks and in response to her goodbye, and they headed toward their respective rooms.

Schala entered her new dorm. It wasn't much different from her last one. It lacked the small entrance area and was a bit bigger. It also had its own bathroom, no more would her annoying roommate steal her shampoo and toothpaste. Her things, it so happened, weren't as badly put away as she had feared. Even if they were, she was too tired to clean it up now.

She didn't even bothered to change, just took off her boots, belt and jacket and let herself drop on the bed, falling into a deep slumber soon after.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: First of all, I'm sorry people… I know I've said it since the beginning, a chapter per week, but my last week was chaotic, to say the least and I was unable to update… my deepest apologies. My New Year's resolution, try my best not to let that happen ever again!!_

_Anyway, here is chapter 10! Hope you liked it! Oh, and about Xu's clothes. The description isn't the best but it was the best I could do… it's much easier to draw it than describing it, so as to aid you in understanding her attire, I'll be posting her character sketch in my album in photobucket. Check my profile for the link or just search for irisa007.(BTW, her last name, tottally my fabrication...)  
_

_Again, thank you for reading and have a very happy New Year of 2008!!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	11. Chapter 11: First Mission

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… All I can take credit for is this highly altered story… Be afraid, be very afraid!! But read it anyway XD  
_

**Chapter 11 – First Mission**

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**

The setting sun's light covered the grassy hills of Balamb Continent. A soft breeze blew bringing the soft scent of the ocean with it.

He breathed deep, feeling the wind whipping his long coat around. He had a natural restless manner, but the peacefulness of the place always seemed to get to him. He opened his eyes, looking ahead and he noticed a figure at a distance. The light caught in his sight, he was unable to make out any details.

He stepped forward, driven by curiosity at to who that person could be. He could only tell she was female by her silhouette, but her shape seemed enveloped in shadow and couldn't see more.

He was just a step away, still her name eluded him. He couldn't see her clearly, but he recognized her somehow. As he came close enough so that he could reach her, she turned. Her face was the only part of her that shone brightly, him taking a few seconds to adjust his sight to the sudden light. He couldn't see her eyes, long unruly bangs covering them. All he saw was her full red lips as he felt her eyes on him.

The sun had set now, her face the only source of light in the dusk. Then the corner of her lips rose in a small, soft smile and he felt himself melt in such tenderness. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and left him completely mesmerized.

Her mouth opened but no sound came. He tried to answer her, but his voice failed him. He tried screaming but it was useless, they were both enveloped in a deep silence. Not even the wind felt itself hear even though their clothes and her hair were whipped around by it.

He was getting anxious, unable to understand what was going on. He was calmed when her right hand gently caressed his face. He immediately grasped it, focusing his attention back on her face. She smiled as she spoke and even though he couldn't hear her, it relaxed him. He felt her hand so cold. He stepped forward, placing his right arm around her waist, and pulling her near.

He leaned in, getting closer to those inviting lips, when a loud bang made both almost jump away from each other. They looked around them as another bang echoed in the silence. Then another, and another. They were both puzzled. The skies were clear, it was no thunder. There was no one else around, what could make such a sound? Another bang. And another.

What happened next was so sudden...

They felt like they were being ripped apart, each being pulled in the other's opposite direction. They tried to hold on, but whatever was dragging them was too strong.

Without each other to lighten their way, everything went black.

OOOOOOOOOO

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

The sound continued, slightly rocking the sleeping figure that twisted and turned under the sheets.

"Wake up already!" Came a muffled voice from behind the door, the obvious responsible for pulling the sleeping form from its deep slumber and its dream… _Strange dream…_

**BANG! BANG!**

The individual rose, grumbling, from the bed, throwing the sheets and pillow away, and started walking towards the door.

The door opened swiftly, almost startling the person behind it. Both stared at each other, before the one outside the room finally spoke.

"Sure took your time!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Sure took your time! I've been knocking at your door for the past twenty minutes."

Both blondes stood under the doorframe, glaring at each other. Quentin, cause he had indeed been knocking at his door for the past twenty minutes. Seifer, cause his banging on the door woke him up from a very good dream. _And when it was getting to the good part, too._

"And you didn't take the hint." He said, his voice hoarse. And, as if to add to his discomfort, he had a killer headache. All he wanted was to lock himself in complete darkness and silence, but judging by the instructor's face, he wouldn't have either anytime soon.

Quentin shook his head, sighing to his behavior. Only when his eyes fell on him again did he notice. He was a real mess! Hair exceptionally unkempt, dark rings around his eyes and a blank look… Seemed like Seifer really needed his beauty sleep.

"… Anyway…" He stopped as he finally noticed something else about his behavior. His flinching at the lights of the hall and every time he spoke were a dead give away. He slapped himself mentally. Why did he not see it sooner? First last night, then this… he was loosing his edge.

"Way to go, Seifer. Nice going." He said, shaking his head disapprovingly. _Excellent day to get a hangover_.

Seifer frowned, though it worsened his headache. "Save the lecture,_instructor._ I'm not in the mood." He said the word _instructor_ like the word itself was hard to swallow, gaining a light frown from him as well. Seifer resisted the urge to smirk, even facial expressions seemed to affect his pounding head. Felt like a herd of Iron Giants were parading around in there.

Quentin sighed again. Seifer would never change. He was as hard at letting people in as Schala… well, maybe not that bad. He looked up, fixing his eyes on him again.

"Well… I suggest you sober up, get cleaned up and dressed soon. The headmaster is expecting us in his office in… about ten minutes." He said as calmly as he could, already anticipating his reaction.

It took Seifer a few moments to register his words. One, his hangover wasn't helping in the swift assimilation of information; second, he usually never paid too much attention to what the instructor said, anyway. But when the words sank in, he was confused.

"… Why…?" He asked slowly.

Quentin's expression was a mix of amusement and dread as he answered him. "To give you your first SeeD mission."

The blonde instructor had to work pretty hard to hide his smile as he saw the other boy slowly understanding the situation. First came an immense happiness. He was a SeeD now and was going on his first mission. A bit of nervousness joined in, after all it was his first time going to the field in his new rank. Then came worry, followed closely by panic. He only had less than ten minutes to get ready and he was a total mess!

Seifer rushed inside his room, scavenging around his belongings looking for what he was going to need. Such was his hurry, he didn't even realized he left the door wide open. Quentin, slowly closed the door, smiling freely now at the boy's antics.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Sure took your time!"

Schala found herself glaring at someone's chest. Not intentionally, mind you, it was just that his upper chest covered her line of sight.

"Didn't know you were such a sleepyhead. I've been knocking at your door for a while now."

That cheerful tone could not go unnoticed in a million years. Her eyes slowly rose to meet bright emerald ones. _More like ramming the door down…_ she thought as she directed a scowl at him, which he promptly ignored.

She was about to shut the door closed, when his voice, and his words halted her movements.

"Anyway, hurry up and get ready. We're gonna be late…"

She was intrigued, and annoyed. _What now?_ She wondered as she set her glare back on his face.

"Late to what?"

"The meeting." He answered, swiftly. Noticing her confused expression, Sorphan immediately proceeded to elaborate. "The Garden Festival Committee? I set up a meeting to discuss future projects down at the Quad in a bit."

She was frowning now. What did that have to do with her?

Seeing her frown, it was Sorphan's time to get confused. Could she have forgotten...? "You joined, remember? At the inauguration ball, yesterday…"

Her frown deepened. _I did?_ Then slowly she started to recall last night's events, suppressing a groan as she would rather not be reminded of most of them.

"Sooo… you comin'?" His words drew her out of her thoughts, her eyes refocusing on his face.

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to her room, closing the door behind her.

"Fine." He heard her say before the door closed completely, a big smile showing on his face as he leaned against the wall next to her room.

"I'll wait for you here, then." He whispered more to himself than anything else. _If I get her alone I might be able to ask her about last night's dance story… funny, I had a feeling something was going on between her and that Seifer guy… must have been just my imagination._ He shrugged it off and stayed there, waiting impatiently for the, around fifteen minutes it took her to get ready.

OOOOOOOOOO

There was a light knock at the door before it opened, revealing a young woman in SeeD uniform with short dark hair.

"Sir!" She said saluting. "The two SeeDs you requested are here to see you."

"Thank you, Xu. Send them in, please." The headmaster said from behind his desk while shuffling through his papers, apparently looking for one in particular.

Xu nodded, turning outside and motioning the two blonde teens in. Quentin and Seifer walked in, stopping as they approached the desk, both saluting in respect.

"At ease!" He said without even tearing his eyes from his search.

The two young men relaxed slightly, though they remained in a respectful stance. Quentin was quite impressed with Seifer, actually. Not only did he get pretty presentable in such a short time, but he managed to hide his _condition_rather well, making the instructor wonder whether that had happened before that morning.

Cid finally found what he was searching for, letting go a low cry of triumph, as he place the sheet of paper on top of several others. He raised his eyes for the awaiting SeeDs, a small smile showing in his features.

"I was wondering when the time would come for you, Seifer, to be in here waiting to get your first SeeD mission…" He couldn't resist but comment, gaining a small smile from Quentin and a low snort from Seifer. "Anyway… about your mission…"

Seifer tensed, he had been waiting for that moment for years now. Quentin noticed his reaction, also tensing a bit. It was not because he was going out on a mission, after all he was a SeeD for four years now, and he had been on several missions before, going out on less since he became an instructor. This time his mission was twofold. Not only was he to accomplish the mission, but he also had to keep a close watch on his partner.

"You two are going to Deling, capital of Galbadia, in a recon and information gathering mission." He continued, his tone suddenly serious.

Both teens frowned slightly. Quentin was intrigued by these orders while Seifer was a bit disappointed. Not exactly what he expected his first mission to be. Both made the traces of doubt vanish from their faces in seconds, but the Headmaster had caught a glimpse of it nonetheless. Too many years dealing with teenagers that yearned for some active assignments.

Cid rose from his chair, rounding the table so that there was nothing between him and the other men. He turned his penetrating look onto them like a flashlight before sighing and continued his debriefing, pacing in front of them.

"Our intelligence has been hearing some disturbing rumors about the possible rise of a Sorceress in Galbadian territory." He gave them some time to assimilate his words and both teens had to control their surprise. The last time a Sorceress let herself known to the world was over twenty years ago. Adel and the Sorceress Wars. That lasted for years and took the lives of both their parents, along with so many more.

"That information, though not confirmed, is worrisome enough as it is. But the rumors extend on to a possible alliance between that sorceress and Vinzer Deling, current president of Galbadia. If this information proves to be correct, it can have serious repercussions, not only for our institution, but for the rest of the world as well."

_That could mean the start of a new Sorceress Wars._ The thought passed through the two youth's minds just as it had passed through Cid's when the news first reached him, a few days ago.

"We can't do anything without first verifying the veracity of this information, which is why I'm sending you to Deling." He turned his gaze from their troubled expressions, fetching a few papers and an envelope from his desk. "You will board the express from Balamb to Timber at 9:30, making scale in Timber and board the next express to Deling." He informed, passing the envelope with the tickets to Quentin. "Your arrival in the capital should be around 2300 hours." He also gave them a piece of paper with some relevant information, schedules and patrols among many.

"This is a covert mission, you are not to engage in any battle, especially against galbadian forces or the Sorceress herself, if there are other options. This is solely an information gathering run." Cid was being quite adamant in that point, sparing especial attention to Seifer's reaction. It was risky sending the impulsive boy on such a sensitive mission, thought shared by Quentin. However, in the case of any eventuality, Seifer's skills would be necessary, though he seriously hoped it would not come to that.

"Now go. Be safe, and good luck in your mission."

"Yes, Sir!" Both SeeDs stood in attention, saluting their ranking officer.

"Dismissed!"

The two teenagers left the room swiftly, waiting till they were outside to discuss details and plans.

The headmaster returned to his desk, but at the last minute changed his course. He approached a window in the back of his office, his look lost in the landscape. He had a solemn expression, his mind lost in thought. _I just hope it's not her…_

OOOOOOOOOO

The two brunettes walked silently, side by side through the Garden's halls. Several other students and even SeeDs turned their heads seeing the unusual group. Schala was hardly seen walking alongside anyone else, except sometimes the instructor, and that was rarely by choice.

Sorphan wasn't particularly used to be the center of attention and found himself a bit uncomfortable having so much on him at the moment. Also, he found it somewhat ironic a girl everyone claimed to be an_Ice Queen_, unsocial and very often rude to attract so much attention to herself, especially when she seemed so oblivious, and even annoyed by it.

He glanced in her direction. There was that constant frown on her features, her face was very pretty, but it would be even more if she smiled more, he thought. Not that he remembered ever seeing her smile…

They had stepped into the Quad's access hall and in his mind a fierce battle was being fought. He didn't know exactly how to bring it up._We're almost there… it's now or never!_

"Say, hmm… Schala!?" He started, hesitantly.

The girl kept her pace, turning her head slightly so that she could see him. Taking it as a sign to continue, he did.

"Who… Did…" It was obvious he didn't know where to start. Should he try making small talk or just ask it straight away? She didn't seem to like small talk much… _Aahh, just say what you want to say!_ The silence stretched as they were nearing the last flight of stairs and… well… Sorphan did the only thing he could do at that point… he panicked.

"Howdidyoufindtheballyesterday? Itwasfun,huh? Say,Iheardyouweredancingwithaguy. Nooneseemedtoknowhim,though. Isthattrue? Whowashim,anyway? Hopeyouhadfun,yesterday!"

He just blurted out in one breath, gasping for air afterwards. The girl was completely stunned and stopped walking immediately, looking at him as like he had grown a second head. She didn't understand a word.

"What!?" She spat out, the other brunette stopping and looking back at her.

He stared at her inquiring glare, quite unsure if he should push the matter or just let it go. Well, it was too late now. He breathed in a new wave of determination and repeated, at least part of his reverie. "I was just wondering…" He was fidgeting now, avoiding her glare. "I heard you were dancing with a stranger yesterday, just wondering who he was. That's all."

Sorphan raised his eyes slowly, expecting to encounter a royally pissed off brunette girl. But that was not what he found. She was just staring at him with an uncomfortably penetrating look.

Schala had been surprised, first by his mindless babbling and second by his question. She started to get mad at first. Why was everyone always minding her business? First instructor Trepe, always trying to force her to open up and making Zanya make sure she attended the ball. Then this guy waking her up for the Hyne-damned Garden Festival Committee meeting, she cared nothing about and asking her questions. Since when did her life get so interesting for other people?

Though she had planned to yell at him for his intrusion, one look in his direction and the hostile reaction died down to simple annoyance. Somehow, she could not get mad at this person. She didn't know what the hell was going on in her subconscious to make her react like that to him and, seriously, it was starting to get on her nerves.

Shoveling those thoughts onto the back of her mind for later analysis, she sighed motioning to resume her walk. Before she passed by the still stunned brunette teen, she answered him, truthfully.

"I don't know who he was."

Sorphan straightened up and, forgetting all about the previous awkward minutes, he caught up to her, reverting back to his cheerful persona.

"So… you'd dance with someone you don't even know?"

She stopped walking for a moment, her eyes looking ahead but not seeing anything. In her mind, she heard very similar words but in a different voice. _"So… you'll dance with someone you don't even know, but you can't even consider me." _She shook her head dismissing her memories, forcing them back into her mind and continued walking.

Their little exchange was to be kept on hold as they reached the bottom of the stairs and the girl had to suppress a groan at the sight. There was a large group of people near an incomplete stage setting talking amiably. There were more people that she had expected and as soon as they noticed their arrival their dispositions changed. There was a long silence as all the conversations ceased in a second, all eyes showing surprise and incredibility.

The girl did groan as she realized that, most probably, most of the people there had come just to check if she would actually come to the meeting. And people kept sticking their noses in her life, why? She had absolutely no idea.

Sorphan broke the silence by beginning the meeting. Schala silently thanked him, but the pleased feeling didn't last long as, soon after it started, she was bored to death…

OOOOOOOOOO

Only around 8 a.m. did Quentin and Seifer reach a compromise. They'd been discussing their course of action for the mission since they'd left the Headmaster's office and it had been hard for them to agree on any decision. Both left toward their respective rooms with one thought roaming in their heads… _It's gonna be a long mission…_

Well, that was the life of SeeD.

For starters, they agreed to meet by the parking lot around 8:45 and take a SeeD transport into the city, where they would board their train. Forty five minutes seemed more than enough to gather their supplies.

Seifer entered his room, checking drawers and cabinets for all that he could eventually need. He removed his gunblade, inspecting it carefully. If there was one thing he paid special care of was his weapon, Hyperion. He would hardly go anywhere without it. There was a knock on the door, drawing his attention from the blade to the source of the sound.

He walked to the door and opened it, coming face to face with his two friends.

"Hey, Seifer!" Raijin greeted, waving his hand in an additional greeting.

Fujin, that stood next to the bulky, dark skinned young man only nodded her "Hello", her emotionless face never faltering.

"You woke up early today, huh? Normally no one can get ya outta bed before 10 a.m. at least, ya know." He said, smirking at the other one.

His amusement was short lived as a well positioned kick by a seemingly frail skinny girl, made him yell in pain and walk with a limp for the next few hours.

Seifer had barely reacted to his commentary, already expecting the girl's action. To that, he laughed. Seeing a small frail looking girl kicking a big, muscular guy was always entertaining.

"C'mon, Fu! Gimme a break, ya know?" Raijin whimpered, already moving outta the way to avoid another kick. "Anyway, what're we doin' today?"

"Sorry, guys. Today I'm busy."

His pose looked at him attentively. It was unusual for Seifer not to hang out with them. They stared at him with an inquiring look, waiting for him to clarify the situation.

The blonde teen had a smile from ear to ear as he laid down the situation for his friends.

"I have my first SeeD mission. I'm leaving today in less than an hour." He said with pride.

Both teens were stunned, but extremely happy for their close friend and leader, though one couldn't say by looking at the albino girl. The next minutes were a blur to Seifer as the bulky youth patted him on the back repeatedly, and kinda hard too, only stopping after another well positioned kick.

"So you're leaving soon, huh?" Raijin asked after recovering from the blow.

"Yeah, at 8:45." He answered them. He couldn't go into details, the information was quite delicate and even Seifer was aware of that, as he also knew they wouldn't ask questions about the mission itself. Growing up in Garden, they knew how it was.

"Then we still have time." The dark skinned youth added, a big grin on his face. "Let's stop by the Quad. Relax a bit before you take off, ya know?"

Fujin looked at him intently. Realizing his reasons for going she rolled her one eye, shaking her head slightly.

"Fine by me." Seifer just shrugged. As they walked towards the Quad, Seifer's supplies already picked and stored with him, she started thinking that cooling off before departure might actually bee a good idea. He was about to go spend, probably, several days out on a mission with the instructor… he needed all the calm he could muster.

Upon reaching the Quad area, Seifer was quite surprised at seeing so many people around. Sure, people usually hung out around the place, but he had never seen such an intense concentration before. He soon discovered the reason behind all the attraction.

From the type of people gathered near the stage area and their actions, he concluded there was a meeting for the Garden Festival Committee. It was an extracurricular activity some students, and even SeeDs, joined as to organize events and celebrations. Among many other things, they were responsible for the organization of the SeeD Inauguration Ball, for example. Truth be told, not many joined the Committee. Apart for certain times of the year, there wasn't much to do.

That by itself wouldn't account for such an audience. Usually others didn't care much for the Committee's activities, though all enjoyed the parties. But there was a new member to the group that was causing all that commotion.

Seifer had to suppress a cry of amazement as he noticed the brunette girl leaning against the center stage main frame. _Leonhart? No way!!_

"Yes way." Raijin exclaimed, pretty pleased with himself. Seifer's expression of surprise was well worth the ass-kicking he got seconds after from Fujin.

But Seifer wasn't paying attention to his friends anymore. It was the first time he saw her since last night's _'incident'_ and, well he was thankful she hadn't noticed him yet. Looking attentively at her, he chuckled. She seemed bored to death. Again, he found himself staring at her caringly. He must have stayed like that for a while before he acknowledged Raijin's calling, warning him of the time. He didn't even feel the minutes go by.

Sending one last glance in her direction, he left the Quad area, heading towards the Parking Lot, and his first mission.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala straightened up suddenly. She was aware that most people around were looking at her and the others. She hadn't paid much attention to that preferring to ignore her surroundings, though she paid mild attention to what Sorphan was talking about, while gesturing enthusiastically. But, for a second she felt something else. A different set of eyes on her, an intense stare. Her head turned swiftly towards the stairs, but it wasn't there anymore. The strange, yet familiar sensation was gone. She kept her look in the same direction, as if expecting to catch a glimpse of him, but he didn't return.

Her attention was diverted back to Sorphan as he asked her something. She just shrugged it off or rolled her eyes, never truly answering him. The meeting lasted until lunch hour, and Schala couldn't be more grateful for its end, even though Sorphan insisted on them continuing during the afternoon.

OOOOOOOOOO

As usual, the cafeteria was packing at lunch hour as the whole of the Garden's population rushed in search of food. After getting his tray stocked, Sorphan looked around the area for anyone he knew. He smiled as he noticed Zanya at a distance and immediately proceeded to join her, zigzagging between the tables till he finally reached hers.

"Hiya!" He hailed as he sat down next to her. He had to try really hard to suppress a laugh as it seemed he always found her shoving food into her mouth. Ok, so it was lunch time and that was to be somewhat expected, but still.

The blonde martial artist waved back between bites, keeping her focus on her task. She didn't want last night's events to repeat themselves. Sorphan started eating, calmly, avoiding looking at her, in fear of loosing his appetite. How did the girl kept in shape, he didn't know. _She's got to have a monster metabolism. _

Zanya cleaned her plate, refocusing on the brunette boy.

"So, how did the meeting go?" She asked.

Sorphan could hear the innuendo in her query. "What? You didn't come and watch? Everyone else did."

"I have a very busy morning workout schedule, you know? Didn't have the time, ok? So, tell me!"

"Yes, she came to the meeting. And she stayed there the whole morning… though she didn't participate much…" _Like, at all…_ He added with a sigh.

The girl gave him a look of "_What did you expect?"_, but she was still not satisfied. "And…?"

Sorphan looked back at her with a small smile that grew rapidly. "You owe me a lunch, and I'm not talking about cafeteria food."

"Really!" Zanya cried out louder than she should, but everyone was used to her outbursts, so no one paid too much attention to her anymore.

"Yup! But it seems she didn't know him either… is that good or bad?" He added as an afterthought, wondering what could be more commonplace: Schala dancing with someone she knew or someone she didn't. He didn't know her well enough to reach a conclusion on his own.

"Well… I dunno…" Zanya said truthfully. Her dancing at all was not a customary behavior of hers. She was a bit disappointed, though. She thought there might be something behind all that… oh, well. She sighed. If only she had built up the guts to ask Schala about it yesterday, she wouldn't have lost the bet.

They stayed silent for a while, having exhausted the subject. Sorphan finished his food and they both left the cafeteria, now talking banalities.

"Hey! Can I convince you to come join us in the afternoon? Should have less of a crowd now." Sorphan added, still trying to hook the girl into joining the Committee.

She gave him a suspicious glance. "No thanks. Busy."

"In the library?" He guessed. He had heard a very amusing rumor about the martial artist and a mutual interest with a boy in the library department.

The girl instantly blushed furiously, taken completely by surprise. "What…? How…? Who…?" She babbled incoherently, staring blankly at the, now laughing his ass off, brunette SeeD. "Why you…" She threatened, her voice dangerously low. The boy kept laughing as he ran off, the girl hot on his heals.

OOOOOOOOOO

Finally, the train had arrived to Timber. The two blonde teenagers left the station exhausted.

They had been arguing for the good part of the voyage, having decided, about halfway through the underwater tunnel, to take a break from each other. So they spent the rest of the time in opposite sides of the luxurious SeeD compartment, not a word exchanged between them.

They passed through the streets, heading towards the station where the train would leave for Galbadia. They still had about half an hour, but they, surprisingly, agreed to check the stores and try to gather some information before boarding. This time there was no SeeD cabinet, so they'd have to travel alongside the other passengers. At least they wouldn't be at each other's throats so much.

As they walked over a catwalk, a short, skinny girl came running from the other end. Not noticing them, the girl slammed hard against Seifer, the shock throwing her back on the floor. She sat up, rubbing her head where it had hit the ground.

Seifer looked down at her, sneering. She wore a light yellow vest, with several pockets, a white long sleeved shirt under it, army-green trousers that reached just above her ankles and black tennis shoes. She had straight brown hair and wore a blue round cap. Her features were, for lack of a better word, normal, she was skinny, short and had flat chest. So, obviously she didn't capture much of his attention.

"Watch where you're going!" He spat at her, walking past without a second glance.

Quentin frowned, shaking his head and approached the fallen girl.

"Are you alright?" He asked, softly.

The girl looked up, her small but smart light brown eyes staring attentively.

"Yes, sir. I'm alright, sir." Her voice was low and she spoke rather fast, though not excessively fast. Quentin frowned as he was rarely called '_sir_', even in Garden. She got up, supporting herself on the railing, politely refusing the instructor's help, and once up, she bowed repeatedly as she moved past him. "Sorry, sir. Thank you, sir." She said several times before taking off again.

Quentin saw her run off, slightly taken back by her strange behavior. Shaking his head, he crossed to the other side where Seifer had waited for him. Suppressing a chuckle, he added.

"I think your _charm_ scared her off." He said amusedly.

Seifer just snorted, resuming his walk as both continued on their way.

In the opposite direction, near the station they walked out of several minutes before, the girl approached a yellow painted train engine stopped on the line headed for Galbadia. The girl swiftly, and looking from side to side repeatedly, climbed over the platform knocking on the transport's door in a peculiar fashion. The door opened and she rushed inside, the door closing the second she was in.

Inside, a tall raven haired young man spoke from the shadows of the dimly lighted division. "Well?"

"I got the info, Boss!" The girl exclaimed quickly, a shy smile on her features.

"Perfect."

OOOOOOOOOO

The Headmaster exited the elevator on the third floor with a tired expression. It seemed like every time he had a meeting with NORG, he looked like he had been stolen of several years of his life… In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if he had!

"Sir!? Is everything alright?" Asked a concerned Xu. He looked awful.

"Everything is fine, Xu, thanks." He calmly replied, waving off her concern. He neared the door and turned to his second in command. "Can you get the records of the new SeeDs for me, please?"

"Certainly, sir. All of them?

He nodded, tiredly. "All but Seifer's."

"Right away, sir."

He entered his office, closing the door behind him and walked towards his desk. This particular meeting had been exceptionally tiresome. First, he had to hear NORG's complaint about sending one experienced SeeD and a recently formed SeeD that in his point of view was one of the best additions to the force due to his great skill and known bloodlust, to a mission without neither his approval nor knowledge. That got him very bitchy. Then was this, in Norg's own words, preposterous and pathetic mission Cid had accepted the night before from a client they, mostly him, knew little about and whose payment was ridiculous. NORG only agreed to that assignment if the SeeD dispatched were rookies and a team of three or less.

He sighed deeply as Xu entered, placing a few dossiers on his desk, and taking her leave. He started analyzing their contents. The mission was not exactly an ordinary one, and one he wouldn't normally even consider was it not for the tenacity and determination the young man had shown yesterday. Showing uninvited to a ball, infiltrating, unnoticed, a military faculty… the boy had spirit. He liked that.

He ran through the papers and after several minutes he reached a decision, three dossiers standing separately from the rest. That would be the team for the Timber liberation mission.

OOOOOOOOOO

Night had fallen and, as many other students were returning to their dorms or stopping by the cafeteria for a late meal, Schala was walking back to her own room after one strenuous day. Starting with the most boring morning of her life, that day was one to forget. She even skipped lunch, much to her Guardian's protests, in order to avoid running into Sorphan again. Certainly he would have dragged her back to the meeting, and she didn't want that.

So, she spent the rest of the day in the Training Center, among other things, listening to the Ice Goddess' lecture. The girl worried Shiva sometimes. She already ate little as it was, if she started skipping meals all together, Hyne knew how long she'd last. She was surprised how she could function the entire day without anything to eat, she didn't even have breakfast.

Now she was silently, and carefully returning to her dorm, aching for a shower and a good night sleep. With any luck, there wouldn't be anyone waking her up earlier than she could on her own. Schala wasn't the _'sleepyhead'_ type, like Sorphan had suggested, she was just tired.

She entered her room and headed immediately for its small bathroom. After twenty minutes, she got out wearing only a towel around her, another wrapped around her head covering her hair. She dried herself, slipping into a simple nightgown and laying on her bed, praying to Hyne for a peaceful sleep.

OOOOOOOOOO

Seifer and Quentin stepped out of the Deling train station. The city glittered in activity. It was interesting to see, normally around that time everyone at Garden had turned in for the night, or at least they were supposed to. Even in the town, the stores were closed and rarely anyone was seen outside.

In Deling it seemed like the city only became truly alive after dark. The streets were busy with people, cars. The stores were bubbling with activity, clients. The restaurants and dinners were packed, despite the late hour. The night was young and in Deling the night lasted forever.

The two teens, having recovered from the initial surprise, exchanged a glance. It was time to get to work. They descended the large staircase of the train station, entering the city and immediately headed off to follow their previously made plans.

The night was still young, and there was a lot to do before morning.

OOOOOOOOOO

The room was quiet and still dark when her eyes slowly opened. She blinked several times before sitting up on the bed. Glancing over the clock on her nightstand, she saw it was a bit past 6 a.m., shrugging it off, she got up heading towards the bathroom.

When she was just at its entrance, there was a knock at the door. She slowly turned but didn't need to open it to know who was on the other side.

"Schala! Wake up!" He yelled between knocks.

She didn't feel like walking the 2 meters to the door, so she just yelled back. "What!?"

"Oh, you're awake! Good." He cried out and she could almost see his smiling face. Suppressing a groan, she waited for him to continue.

"It's our first SeeD mission! Looks like we're going to Timber." Sorphan missed her surprised and excited face, well as surprised and excited as she would show anyway. "Meet by the front gate at 6:30 for the briefing! Don't be late!"

And she heard him walk off. Her first SeeD mission…

… it was starting…

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hi there! Again sorry (seems like I'm always apologizing these days…) for the delay… Oh, how I hate exam season, let me count the ways… Seriously, don't get me started…_

_Anyway, here it is! Quite the long chapter for you! And, if I may add, one of the chapters, so far, with the biggest plot twists! It is all going as intended, you're gonna have to trust me on this one (dangerous, I know…). _

_Let me see… what else can I say…? Well, I can't think of anything else right now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one!!... Will come once I finish it ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	12. Chapter 12: Setting Off

**Disclaimer:**_No, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… I also don't own the characters, the structures, the cities, the trains, the forests, the beaches, the caverns and tombs… I don't own the chocobos, the moombas, the moogles(though they really don't show up in this Final Fantasy…), the monsters, the Guardian Forces, the………………_

**Chapter 12 – Setting Off**

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**

Schala arrived at the main gate with still a couple of minutes to spare. As she climbed the last flight of stairs, she noticed a group of people ahead. Getting closer, she recognized the Headmaster, in his usual attire, two Garden Faculty members and Sorphan in a much more casual get-up. He wore loose olive green bid-and-brace overalls with a corn yellow t-shirt underneath and brown ankle boots. On his back, and like she'd noticed during the SeeD exam, he had strapped a giant nunchaku.

He smiled wide, waving and greeting her as she stepped forward, saluting. Cid saluted back, giving her an "at ease" sign and she passed by them, leaning against the wall.

It was already 6:30, and although they all seemed aware of the time, the debriefing hadn't started yet. She glanced at the tall brunette sideways, and he smiled.

"Zanya." He said simply, gaining a frown from the girl. "She was worse to get outta bed than you were yesterday."

Choosing to ignore that last comment, Schala was busy silently cursing her luck. Her first mission and she was stuck with a hyperactive, loudmouth and Hyne-damned annoying girl, not that the tall brunette was any better on the hyperactivity department.

It was already five minutes past the scheduled hour and they were starting to get restless, more the faculty members than anyone else, mumbling something about "delays" and "improper of SeeD". Cid, however, didn't seem greatly disturbed by it, a discrete smile betraying his amusement.

"… One more minute…" Said one of the robed men, sighing heavily.

There was suddenly a low rumbling, attracting all of those present's attention to the entrance of Garden. Very small, at a distance, they could see something moving, and it was approaching rather fast! Once the figure got close enough, they could tell she was riding a long hoverboard, dashing from side to side in a mixture of surfing and skateboarding extravagant moves and even though the blonde girl's skills gained a smile from Sorphan and the Headmaster, and a blank, emotionless expression from Schala, the faculty members acted as they were outraged.

She skidded around, coming at great speed and only a few meters away. Just as she was right on top of them, the faculties flinching in fright, she quickly brought the board to the side, halting her motion expertly and stepping on the board so that it stood, allowing her to grab it, like you'd do a normal skateboard.

"Made it!" Zanya was very pleased with herself, holding her T-board caringly.

She too, Schala noticed, wore a different set of threads. She had a tight white tank top, revealing part of a tribal type tattoo that covered her left side from her chest to her waist, as well as a pair of loose low-waist denim shorts that reached her knees and a long sash as belt, long enough that its extremes dangled around loosely, almost reaching her ankles. She had black and red tennis shoes, white socks, and like in the SeeD exam, she wore a pair of black gloves with her trademark Metal Knuckles, characteristic of her unarmed fighting style.

Her wide smile faltered as one of the robed figures approached her.

"T-Boards are prohibited within Garden. Have you forgotten?" He said sternly.

Her eyes widened in fear and shock at being caught in the act. "Oops, sorry!" She said, smiling sheepishly as she hugged her board protectively. "But this is really cool. It may come in handy on a SeeD mission, someday." She added, hopefully. She hadn't like the guy's tone and would hate to be deprived of her _precious toy_.

"We'll be the judges of that." The faculty spoke, signalling the other one to approach. "Confiscate it!"

For a moment, instead of letting go, she held it more forcefully, glaring at the robed man who was trying to take it away. Though somewhat sympathetic with the blonde girl's plea, Cid had to be selective with the fights he picked against the _Garden Master_'s trusty followers. He gave the martial artist a commanding look to let it go and the girl, reluctantly obeyed, mourning her loss as the faculty, carelessly took it away.

"All of you are members of SeeD, but… nevertheless, you're still students at this Garden." The same man added, ignoring the glare the girl was sending him. "Furthermore, because you are SeeDs, you must set an example to all others and abide by the Garden's rules. Understand!?"

Zanya felt close to exploding in anger, her whole frame trembling in irritation. She never did like those guys, feeling shared by the majority of Garden's population, but she had never been so close to punching one before. Sensing someone's stare, she looked to the side noticing the headmaster and the other two teens. One look from Schala put her in her place as she joined the others to listen to their first mission's briefing.

The headmaster stepped forward and started once he was sure he had everyone's attention.

"Well, about your first mission… You are to go to Timber. There, you will be supporting a resistance faction." Their bodies tensed, wondering exactly what the resistance activities could be that they would need SeeD. "That is your mission. A member of the faction will contact you at Timber Station."

One of the faculty members stepped forward adding: "This person will talk to you and say, 'The forests of Timber sure have changed'. At this time, you must reply, 'But the owls are still around'. That is the password."

Cid looked sideways at the other man, refocusing on the teenagers.

"Just follow the faction's orders."

Zanya was still upset by the whole T-Board matter, but something else dawned on her as she tore her eyes from the headmaster to the others. Her eyes widened as she confirmed her thoughts, turning back to the headmaster.

"Uh… Just us 3?"

"Correct." The robed man explained, cutting the Headmaster off his response. "We agreed to do this mission for very little money. Normally, we would never accept such requests, but…"

"Enough talk about that." Cid cut in, with a slightly annoyed look at the faculty. He cleared his throat, turning back at the SeeDs. "Well then, Schala, you are the squad leader. Use your best judgement based on the situation." The brunette SeeD nodded and the headmaster continued. "Zanya and Sorphan, you are to support Schala and give your all to carry out the faction's plans."

The three SeeDs saluted, to which Cid reciprocated. The Faculty members walked back to Garden as Cid left himself fall behind, turning to the teenagers who were getting ready to leave.

"Schala!" He called out.

Followed by her companions questioning stares, the girl turned, walking back towards the older man. He produced a package out of nowhere, a carefully wrapped item that he placed in her hands once she approached.

"I forgot to give you this." He noticed her confused expression and smiled. "It's a cursed item, but if one with enough power uses it, it should be of great help." Seeing her frown and slightly inquiring look didn't fade, his smiled widened, barely suppressing a chuckle.

"Consider it an added bonus for being the best qualified in the SeeD exam." His smiled faltered slightly. "And an apology for the reduced crew for the mission, though I'm sure you'll be able to handle it." He patted her gently on her shoulder before turning and following the others back inside Garden.

"Take care!"

Schala saw as the Headmaster retreated into the huge facility. She looked down on the item resting on her hands. It was very light and she had no idea what it could be or what kind of help could it produce. Shrugging, she placed the package in her jacket's inner pocket and walked back to where the other two were waiting for her.

The second they were outside the gates it started. Zanya and Sorphan stepped ahead of her, cornering her.

"Soooo…. What did he give ya?" Zanya asked excitedly, standing on her tiptoes so that she could stay at her eye level.

"Yeah!? We heard the Headmaster say something about 'cursed' and 'great help'… C'mon, let's see it!" Sorphan added to the mix, and to Schala's quickly forming headache.

"C'mon, show us!"

"Pleeaaaasee!!"

"FINE!" She snapped at them, unable to listen to their begging for a second more. She sighed heavily as they cheered in happiness and was starting to regret ever giving in to their pleas.

She carefully withdrew the package from her pocket, holding it in front of her so that they could see. She removed the wrap, revealing a black flame shaped lantern. As the three teenagers' eyes fell on the object, their expression passed from amazement to almost disappointment. The item might have been impressive in its days, but now it was worn, dented and covered in dust like it had been forgotten in a basement or attic for decades.

It wasn't at all what any of them expected.

"This is it?" Zanya asked disappointingly, tilting her head around it almost in search of something hidden in it.

"Looks like such a… beat-up, worthless piece of junk…"Sorphan added in all truth as he straighten back, abandoning his own search of something special about the strange lamp.

"Hey, hey!!" Zanya suddenly cried out. "I think it's something written here…" She said, pointing to the side of the lamp and re-attracting the others' attention to the item. "… but it's… it's hard to make out…" She motioned to touch the surface of the object, but Schala beat her to it, turning the lamp around so that she could see the part the blonde had mentioned.

The martial artist scoffed, slightly frustrated. She was the one that found the one interesting thing about it, she should be the one to check it out.

Ignoring the other girl's thoughts, Schala looked at the lamp attentively, actually seeing some faded out writing she didn't recognize. Using her gloved hand to try and clean the filth over the symbols, she ended up rubbing the item.

In that exact moment, the object started to tremble. Schala immediately stopped her ministrations, but the item kept shaking more violently. Zanya and Sorphan stepped back just as a black smoke and an inhuman shriek came from the lamp. The smoke twirled around the brunette girl, catching the other two in its spin, despite their attempts at evading it.

In seconds they were completely covered in black mist, unable to detect anything around them. The smoke cleared, eventually, and though they could see each other now, they didn't see anything else. It was almost like they were transported into a dark room, one that went on forever to all sides.

"**Who dares disturb my sleep?"**

The shrieking, dark voice made them almost shiver as they turned to face its owner.

The dark creature was impressive. Though humanoid in shape its black and red skin, the sharp dark claws in its hands and feet, its pitch black head with strange horns extending from it, its long, whip-like tail and its devil-like wings gave Diablos an unholy demon look.

The demon hovered above the dark soil, moving his wings in sync as his sharp yellow eyes focused on the teenagers in front of him. He didn't seem very pleased with his sudden awakening, stretching his form he let go one more terrifying screech before charging at the SeeDs.

They all dove to the sides as Diablos came at them with inhuman speed, slashing the air millimetres from their bodies. As they rolled, Schala and Sorphan drew their weapons as Zanya rolled to a crouching position and rushed at their opponent before he recovered from his attack.

Diablos turned, his feet never touching the ground as he evaded the martial artist's attacks. She kept turning, kicking and punching the air, the devil always keeping himself just outta reach. Hearing footsteps behind her, the blonde girl quickly rolled to the side just as Schala stepped in her place, swinging her blade low to high.

Surprised by the change in attack, Diablos rose up in the air to evade and collect himself. He descended a few metres away from them, still keeping himself at a certain distance from the ground. Glowing crimson blood flowed freely over dark skin, falling drop by drop on the black floor. A low growl echoed throughout the area, the SeeDs having to resist a shiver as it chilled them to the bones.

Glaring at them, Diablos raised his hand to the bleak skies and a purple mist formed around it. The teens readied themselves for his attack, but as he launched his hand down, as if throwing something at them, nothing came. The strange mist was gone but there was no spark or flame.

Suddenly they all felt pulled onto a point, a place between them and as they turned they saw what it looked almost like a black hole. And they were caught in it. They were helpless as they felt like their insides were being twisted and twirled, they felt their bodies shrink and blow unevenly. Their screams of pain were unheard as they thought their skin was melting off and ripped away from the bones. The small but painful torture they experienced seemed to last for hours, when in truth not even a minute had passed until they were throw away from the spell, collapsing on their knees with sudden exhaustion from the mental and physical strain.

Diablos was pretty happy with himself, observing his pained victims with immense satisfaction.

The teens had been dealt a terrible blow and Sorphan was the first to recover, his double junction providing an increased protection against the powerful _Gravija_ spell. He looked around discretely, not wanting to alert the dark creature to his improved state. He noted the girls were still recovering and the devil wasn't attacking them in their weak state, yet. Taking advantage of this small break, and acting as inconspicuous as he could, he reached Diablos mind with his own searching for something that could help them out. He was rewarded with _demi_ spells and had to resist the cheer that was threatening to burst out.

He was planning on drawing more spells so that they could attack full force, but movement from the dark beast forced him to alter his plans. He was getting ready to charge them again and in their current state, they wouldn't bee able to avoid it. He had to act fast. In a split second decision he stood up, running to the side all the while sending spells, anything but _demis_, against him in an attempt of buying time for the girls. Diablos easily avoided his spells, still heading towards the other two SeeDs.

In a sheer state of panic, Sorphan tapped into his mind calling forth that powerful magic that was always there to aid in times of dire need. Flipping through the many spells that made themselves available, he found one that would help and channelled it. Launching his arms up in an uncharacteristic angle he called forth a protective wall that irrupted from the ground just ahead of the other SeeDs and disrupted the GF's attack.

Diablos turned his head and send a chilling glare at the brunette standing a few metres away. Sorphan gulped as he saw the devil charging at him, barely bringing his weapon up in time to parry his attack. His hand caught up in the chain of the brunette's nunchaku, Diablos swung his tail around like a whip, trying to hit the youngster.

Meanwhile, Schala and Zanya were basically recovered, each casting cures on her selves. The wall crumbled as its caster became somewhat distracted and the girls could see why. Exchanging a look, both girls rushed to his aid. Schala brought her gunblade around and, tapping into a deep power within, she swung her weapon sending a shock wave at the devil. Sensing danger, Diablos released the teen and jumped back on instinct just in time to avoid her attack.

As he descended a bit farther away, he was greeted by a strong fist connecting with his chest. The martial artist's blow caught him off guard, almost making him collapse on the ground. But still, she wasn't satisfied as she kept pounding on the Gf's body.

Growing tired of the annoying blonde, Diablos wrapped his tail around her ankle, throwing her off. As she landed with a roll, she didn't even have time to breath as the demon was on top of her again, this time her having to evade the creature's sharp claws. She backed out, flipping backwards several times before a sharp pain ran through her back making her fall down. She was successful at avoiding the claws on his hands but she didn't account for the ones on his feet, and now red liquid flowed from the cuts in her back as she tried to move away from the still approaching beast.

He stopped his advances as he noticed the clear waters now flowing beneath him, waters that strangely parted ways to avoid the fallen blonde and fast approaching brunette girl. He turned seeing a figure sitting on a rock, covered by magnificent long yellow wings. The wings parted revealing a beautiful woman behind them in a small feathery dress and short feathery hair holding a green, marvellously crafted harp in her gentle, soft hands. She opened her eyes to see him and, smiling, she started playing, her mouth singing a song that could not be heard.

As the two GFs faced off, Sorphan, also unaffected by the waters, got near the two girls. Schala had just finished patching up the other girl as he kneeled down next to them.

"You ok!?"

"I'll live." Zanya answered, slightly wincing at the still present pain in her back as Schala just nodded. "So, do we have a plan to put that damn demon out?"

"I do." He said confidently as both girls' eyes fell on him once more.

Diablos smirked as the silent song had no effect on him, charging at the defenceless female. Defenceless, or so he thought. Seeing his attack, Siren quickly brought her wings on to their original position and, just as his strike was about to connect, it was halted by a powerful barrier that threw him back, his hand shaking slightly from the impact.

Her wings still in front of her, Siren looked at him closely, her eyes narrowing at his bold move. The wings parted once more and an uncharacteristic glare adorned her usual serene features. Now, it was common knowledge that the GF Siren had a very calm and relaxing personality, preferring to surrender, instead of fighting. What was unknown to many was that she really, REALLY didn't like to be attacked. Her wings spread completely, gently resting their tips on the calm waters as she stood up completely.

Diablos was taken back at the ferocity of her expression as the once calm waters began to rustle. Changing her grip on the harp, Siren began to play a different song, and this time her voice echoed throughout the void. It was incomprehensible, a dead language that bounced off the waters intensifying its effects. Though it didn't affect the SeeDs, the winged devil was screeching in pain, his hands on his ears trying in vain to muffle the painful sound.

The song lasted only a few seconds, but its damage had already been done. Sending one last glance the demon's way, Siren turned into yellow and purple light, fading in the darkness and returning to her master's mind. The rock shattered into unseen pieces as the waters seemed to sink into the barren earth.

Diablos was considerably shaken up, turning around to get his bearings he noticed the SeeDs had taken strategic positions around him.

Sorphan brought his hands up.

"Ready!?" He yelled out, gaining nods from the others. "NOW!!"

He focused his magic, sending a _demi_ spell towards the devil. Diablos shrieked in pain as the gravity spell twisted his body. He turned to the brunette male, but at that time a second spell hit him from the other side, catching his leg. Then another from the third teenager, catching his left shoulder. The teens had been drawing and storing spells all throughout his battle with Siren, and were now fully stocked.

They continued their attacks, consecutively landing _demi_ after _demi_, until a time the winged creature was staggering visibly, drained and exhausted. Since the spells weren't enough to finish him off, after one last round Schala pulled out her gunblade and rushed at the demon. Unable to evade her strike, Diablos succumbed to her powerful blow as she swung Revolver, pressing the trigger to finish it once and for all.

The dark winged creature fell on the ground, beaten. "**Too much sleep… too weak…" **He mumbled just as his last strength left him.

He turned, facing the one that had beaten him, the same one that rubbed his lamp, summoning and awakening him after a thousand years of imprisonment. Their eyes locked and he finally accepted that girl as his master, fading back into black mist and surrounding the three teens in it.

When the smoke cleared, they were slightly shocked to see they were back in Balamb just a few metres out of the Garden. The dark entity lodged itself in a corner of the brunette girl's mind and, contrary to what had happened the other day, Shiva didn't engage in conversation with him. He wasn't much of a talker, anyway, and it seemed he pretty much preferred to just lie back in a corner and doze off. Schala had absolutely no problem with _that_.

"Ok! We lost a lot a time with that fight. We should hurry to Balamb to catch our train, I don't even know at what time we have transport." Sorphan said suddenly, breaking Schala out of her thoughts and back to the present.

"Train to Timber? We'll have to follow an intercontinental railroad. It's so cool, it even runs through an underwater tunnel to get to Timber." Zanya clarified, gaining the stares of the two brunettes. "What? I live in Balamb, remember? I know stuff!"

Schala raised her brow, preferring not to comment as Sorphan seemed suddenly very excited.

"Underwater tunnel?! Sounds awesome! I love trains!!" he said, more to himself than for the others.

"Hmm…" Zanya remained thoughtful, as if trying to recall something. "To Timber… to Timber… Right! There's an express every three hours, so… we'll probably only bee able to catch the 9:30 train. What time is it, anyway…"

The three glanced at their watches, noting that it was almost 8a.m., and decided to resume their walk to town at a calm, but not slow, step.

OOOOOOOOOO

The three teenagers reached the town in little under an hour, though it had felt like a lot longer to some. How did those two always had so much to talk about, was beyond Schala…

Since they had only around half an hour to spare before their train's departure, they decided to go purchase the tickets right away.

They arrived at the train station and proceeded to the boot.

"Three tickets to Timber." Schala asked the station staff lady, a young woman with short ebony hair.

"Next train is at 9:30, roughly an hour and a half from now. Is that ok?" The woman asked checking her computer for the data. The lack of response made her turn, noticing the girl's confused look. "Are you alright, miss?"

She didn't answer, instead she half turned, glancing at the clock hanging at the station's entrance. It showed a quarter to eight. That didn't make any sense! The briefing was at 6:30, and with Zanya's delay it stretched on and the battle against Diablos had taken its time… and their walk to Balamb had been almost an hour, even her watch showed a different time.

Instead of dwelling, Schala decided to go straight at the source.

_How is it possible that it's still so early?_

_**Hey, Diablos?**_ A cold, female voice echoed in her head. _**I think she's talking to you.**_

He sighed. Well, as much as one can mentally sigh. _**I do not move in regular time and space. It means nothing to me, there lays the greatness of my power.**_

_**Hmpf! They still managed to beat you up!**_ Shiva added in response of his boasting. _Shiva!!...__**Sorry…**_ though she didn't sound sorry at all.

Choosing to ignore the interruption, Diablos continued._** In the dimension I transported you and yours to, time flows differently. So, even if an hour was to pass there, mere seconds would have passed in this dimension.**_

_Hmm, so that's what happened… thanks._ He gave her the equivalent of a mental nod, as she turned back at the lady in the ticket's boot. The woman was looking at her funny, but she ignored it.

"Yes." She said simply, not specifying which question she was answering.

Blinking several time, the woman shrugged it off. "3,000 Gil, please." She informed, a saleswoman's trademark smile adorning her feature.

Schala reached out in her pocket, retrieving the required amount and paid for the tickets. The woman smiled once again as she put the money away.

"Your train will depart at exactly 9:30. Boarding will commence 15 minutes before departure. Have a pleasant voyage."

Not hearing half of her speech, Schala walked away to the others.

"So, are we boarding now?" Zanya asked, checking her watch.

Schala shook her head, the other two looking at her confusingly.

"Why?" She insisted.

"Too early."

Again, they were confused, a frown clearly showing on the martial artist's features.

"But… it leaves in less than ten minutes!" She stressed out at her.

"No." She said, leaving them more confused than ever and she pointed at the station clock. They turned, looking at it and both thinking: _What about it?_ It took them several seconds to acknowledge there was something off. Looking down at their own wristwatches, they realised there was indeed a difference in times.

Schala was already fixing the time in hers as they turned to her with inquiring eyes.

"How…?" Was all they managed to say.

Without even raising her eyes to them, she answered them. "Diablos' doing. Time was different in the place where we fought him. Only seconds passed in our time."

"OOoooohhhh…" They both exclaimed even though they really didn't understand all of it. They shrugged it off, adjusting their own watches as they followed her out of the station area.

So, now, they had roughly an hour and a half to spare and though Schala wouldn't mind spending that time in a secluded, calm place alone, the other two had a different idea.

"Hey! We have loads of time before our train, then! How about some breakfast!?" Zanya suddenly suggested with a huge grin.

"Sounds good! That battle left me starving. Where do we go?" Sorphan immediately commented, rubbing his stomach for added effect.

"As I said it last time, my Pops' house just around the corner, he'll make us a royal breakfast! What do ya say?" She finished, looking back at them, but mostly at Schala. She was the one that refused to go last time.

And, as Sorphan added to the mix, giving her his personal _puppy-dog eyes_ it was dawning on Schala that she wouldn't have much of a choice this time. It wasn't such a bad idea, anyway. In all the rush, she had skipped breakfast and the battle with Diablos had been pretty demanding.

Sure, she'd humour them this time.

"Fine." She said calmly.

"Really!?" They both cried out in unison. Them then narrowing their eyes at her, she'd pull one of those on them before.

"But, you're coming too, right?" Zanya asked, eyebrow raised.

She stared at them, prolonging the moment and their doubts on her actually coming. "Lead the way." She finally said, lowering her head at the cheers they let out and shaking her head.

"Alright!! This way!" The blonde cheered, taking off as the two brunettes followed her down the street.

It really wasn't very far, located right at the centre of the town. Zanya stormed in, calling out to 'Pops' as she led them in the kitchen/dining room area.

Though not big, the division had a very cosy atmosphere, the cracking of whatever was at the stove fitted in marvellously with the familiar ambience.

"Pops? Ya home?" She insisted as she stepped outta the room, leaving the other two there alone.

"Not much of a host, now is she?" Sorphan wondered, resisting the curiosity of checking the pots, or exploring the rest of the house.

"ZAN!! By Hyne, you're home!"

The yell almost made both brunettes jump in surprise. Soon enough, Zanya was being half dragged back into the room by a skinny tall middle aged man. He was slightly taller than Sorphan, and though his hair line was reseating, he had shoulder length hair tied up in a pony tail, and young features. If they didn't know he was Zanya's father, they would assume he was solely in his late twenties. He wore a light green shirt and brown trousers cut above the ankles, black shoes and had a light grey apron around his waist, indicating he had been cooking.

As soon as he got into the room, his eyes fell on the tall brunette, a mischievous smile forming in his face.

"So, you must be my little Zan's boyfriend!" He exclaimed as he walked up to him, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously.

Both Zanya's and Sorphan's eyes widened in shock. Schala, however, leaned against a nearby wall, shaking her head and thinking how it was _impossible_ for those two _not_ to be related.

"DAD!?" Zanya shouted, red as a tomato.

"I…" Sorphan started, intending on denying everything, but he caught the older man winking at him and immediately played along. "Oh, yes! She's a very lively girl." He added, trying his best to keep from burst out laughing.

"Indeed, indeed. Takes it after her mother, she does. I'm so happy she found such a charming young man." He continued the charade, leading the young man to the table. "You know, she promised me grandchildren before I turned forty five. That time is right around the corner."

"I would never have guessed it! Mr Dincht, you don't look a day after thirty!" The brunette replied in all truth.

"Thank you, thank you."

There were no words to describe Zanya's face at that moment. It was a mixture of amazement, incredibility, shock, helplessness, frustration and a tad bit of anger at being completely ignored.

Schala was stunned, to think that there were two people in the world like Sorphan was disturbing. She just watched the exchange silently, eyes half closed, expecting the volcano to erupt…

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

… Hah, there it was.

All faces turned to the royally pissed, blood red face of the flaming martial artist who had finally snapped. And, looking at the scene the two males exchanged a look before bursting out, laughing uncontrollably.

Now the girl was more confused than ever, and Schala had to lower her head to hide the small smile that crept into her features.

"What… I…"

"Oh, honey… I was only messing with ya…" Her father managed to let out between laughs.

It took them several minutes to recover, and by then they were all sitting around the table, except Schala that was still leaning against the wall.

"That was for leaving our guests alone." He added, raising from his chair and slapping the back of her head. "We taught you better than that."

"Sorry Pops…" She whimpered, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, now… you must be my Zan's friends. What are you doing out so early?" His face turned serious suddenly. "Are you heading out?"

Zanya waved her hand around in a dismissive manner. "Just wandering about…"

Schala noticed a knowing smile on the elder man. He seemed to understand that, even if she had a mission she wouldn't be able to talk about it. Personally she was surprised the martial artist hadn't spilled the info about their assignment. The brunette's consideration for the blonde girl rose ever so slightly.

"And searching for food, I presume…" He continued, the smile returning to his face. Not even waiting for her answer, he stepped into the kitchen area, picking up several ingredients along the way. "So it's Hot-dogs for you… what will your friends want?"

"Well…" Sorphan started, thinking up the possibilities.

"Anything will do. Thank you." Schala cut him off, giving him a look and sitting down in front of them.

"Ok, then… how about scrambled eggs, toast, some bacon…"

"YAY!!" Sorphan cheered on, and minutes later they were all seated, the table full of good food and they all dug in.

They were deemed satisfied only after several refills and, since there was still time before they had to go, they stayed and helped clean up. Zanya was doing the dishes, Sorphan, after helping to lift the table, had excused himself to use the bathroom, and Mr. Dincht and Schala were arranging the table and chairs around the room.

After doing his thing, Sorphan returned and, seeing everyone occupied, decided to do some exploring. When he was excusing himself Zanya had threatened him with the pain of death if he even stepped too close to her room. She really shouldn't have told him that because, first: he had no intention of going into her room then; second: now he did.

He silently and swiftly climbed the stairs up to the second floor, thinking about what he could find in her room that she'd like to remain uncovered. Somehow he doubted he would find girly magazines or her walls filled with pretty boys' posters considering her usual personality. Then again, one can never truly tell with a girl. Was she a girl? He had to suppress a chuckle. Now, that was kinda mean.

On the second floor, there were only two rooms, but he immediately narrowed his choices, the big "KEEP OUT" sign being a dead give away.

Looking back one more time to check that he hadn't been noticed, he opened the door carefully and once there was enough room, he edged himself inside. The outside light entered the fully opened windows, illuminating the room. Again, he had to suppress a chuckle. Her room was basically what he expected. Punching bag, wrestling magazines spread around the small desk, walls filled with posters, but instead of pretty boys, there were famous fighters of any and all martial arts' category. That girl was the biggest tomboy he had ever met.

Her dresser had many frames, but one in particular called his attention. Picking it up to see closer he could identify three people in the photograph. One tall, lean man, a younger version of the man downstairs though the only difference he could see was that he had more hair on the front. There was also a strong, bulky woman, her mother he presumed. They didn't talk much about her and he remembered once her mentioning her in the past tense. _I guess she passed away…_ He smiled as he now focused on the little blonde girl between them. She was smiling as she held each of their hands and Sorphan couldn't help but think he'd seen that girl before. Shrugging it off, he placed the frame back in its place before heading downstairs quickly, not risking them noticing his prolonged absence.

Meanwhile, Zanya was busy with the cleaning and her father and Schala were just finishing up. He suddenly turned to the brunette girl, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You guys have your first SeeD mission, right?"

She turned to him, her face expressionless as her eyes focused on his penetrating ones.

"I know you can't confirm it or even tell me where you're going, but…" His eyes were suddenly filled with worry, fear and sadness. "…take care of my daughter. She's told me much about how strong you are and how she really looks up to you… I don't want to loose her like I did her mother… she's all I have." He closed his eyes as tears threatened to escape his closed lids.

Schala didn't know how to react. She wasn't used to people confiding in her and she was getting highly uncomfortable.

"Just… look after her, ok? Don't let her do anything _too_ reckless…" he continued, his eyes again falling on hers.

She didn't know how she could possibly reassure the man. They were SeeDs and their missions were bound to be dangerous. There were no guarantees of success or safety. Not knowing what to say, she just nodded, giving him a determined look.

Apparently satisfied with that, he turned back just as Sorphan climbed down the stairs and acted all too innocently.

"Are you done breaking my dishes?"

"I didn't break anything!!" Zanya cried out from near the sink. "This time…" She whispered to herself.

"Ok, you're done!" He added, shoving the blonde girl out into the dining area. "Take care of yourselves." He added as they were already walking out the door.

"See ya, Pops!" He heard his daughter scream from the other side.

He followed them out, staying at the doorstep as he waved them off.

"Drop by whenever you can. Even just to say hi!"

Giving him a last 'Ok' sign, the teenagers fell outta sight and, breathing deep, Mr. Dincht returned to the inside of his home.

OOOOOOOOOO

They reached the train station at 9:15, just in time to commence boarding. There weren't many people heading out across the ocean, in any case, as SeeDs they had a reserved cabin to the mainland.

Schala took off the tickets, showing them to the station staff and the three of them proceeded inside. Schala entered the cabin, looking around its plain aspect. Zanya followed closely behind, a big smile on her face as she remembered about the underwater tunnel and all the details she knew about the transport. Sorphan stepped in behind her, skipping happily. He really liked trains.

Several minutes later the train jerked into activity, initiating its march soon after. In minutes, they felt the train descend and, as they looked out the windows they could see the ocean floor in all its splendour.

"This train is really awesome!" He cried out.

"Yeah, it's so cool." Zanya joined in. turning around at the other girl, she noticed her expression was the same as ever. She didn't seem impressed with the wonders of modern technology in the least. "By the way, Schala… you have to use the ticket to get inside." She added, pointing at the scanner.

She looked down at the tickets, following the direction her fingers aimed at, she inserted the tickets, hearing a metallic voice saying 'Confirming… Access granted…' in response and the door opened almost immediately. Schala retrieved the tickets as Sorphan walked past her.

"I'm gonna check out the front." He informed and he winked at the girls, taking off through the doors.

"Let's check it out too, Schala." She said before following the brunette boy in, punching the other girl's shoulder playfully, and gaining a glare in return.

Schala eventually walked in behind them, in time to see Zanya opening a side door as Sorphan was simply leaning over the window, marvelling on the underwater sight.

"Yo, check it out! So this is SeeD's private cabin…!" She let out just before entering it. "WHOA! OHHH YEAHHH! AWESOME!" They heard her shout from the inside, obviously excited about something.

Schala let herself lean back on the wall, relaxing in the soft rumble of the wagon, glancing occasionally at the calmness of the ocean's floor. As she lingered in the quietness, she started hearing humming. Opening her eyes, she noted Sorphan was looking dreamily out the window and humming a tune she hadn't heard in years. She could almost hear it in her head…

'_Train, Train Take Us Away'_

'_Take Us Away, Far Away'_

'_To The Future, We Will Go'_

'_Where It Leads, No One Knows'_

She shook her head, trying to make the child's song go away but the humming kept bringing it back. Leaning off the wall, she walked to get inside the cabin to escape the song, and also thinking the blonde girl had time to calm down a bit from her excitement.

As she was opening the door, she heard him sigh and, like he had only noticed her presence then, he smiled saying: "Oh… I'll meet you inside." Then he turned back to the window, resuming his humming, and Schala went inside.

As she entered the luxurious compartment, she heard Zanya bouncing around on the couch.

"Heh-heh. This is sooo cool!"

"…I'm glad you're so excited." She said after a brief pause, in which the girl kept jumping on the couch.

Schala took a moment to look around. It was indeed not like any ordinary cabin. It had a few bunker beds, a comfortable couch. It had a personal washroom, cabinets, desks, one of them with a small computer, probably linked to the network, and more… it basically had anything a SeeD would need.

She stepped over to the couch, sitting down at a distance of the other girl as she seemed to be rummaging through what seemed to be magazines.

"They even have magazines here." Zanya exclaimed suddenly, regaining the brunette's attention as she threw her one of them.

Schala instinctively grabbed it in mid air. Holding it by a corner, she learned it was 'Pet Pals Vol. 1', a dog's magazine. Throwing it over her shoulder, where she remembered was a small side table, she let herself lean back on her seat, relaxing a bit. It was a six hour trip, she could take it easy for a bit.

"This is pretty damn amazing. It pays to be a member of SeeD!" Zanya sighed out, following the other girl's example and sitting comfortably.

After a moment of silence, long silence in Zanya's point of view and not long enough in Schala's, the martial artist started up again.

"Schala, y'know anything about Timber?" She asked and shifted in her seat so she could see the other girl, knowing well she had a tendency to answer questions with nods instead of words.

"Not really." She replied after a brief pause

"Thought so." The blonde said, not even trying to hide the huge grin on her face. "Well, let me fill you in. Timber used to be a country surrounded by deep forests. But 18 years ago, Galbadia invaded. Timber fell quite easily to Galbadia. So now Timber is under Galbadian occupation. It's said there's a whole bunch of resistance factions, big and small." _I wonder if that's the type of organization we'll be dealing with in our mission…_ She added as an after thought.

"...And?" Schala inquired.

Zanya looked at her, shaking her head. "Nope, that's it." There was really not much to tell.

Schala locked her penetrating eyes on the girl. _That's it? _And she sighed, leaning back on the couch. "… Thank you, Miss. Know-It-All-_Zan_." She let out, emphasizing the _Zan._

"Hey, no prob." She said cheerfully, not noticing or ignoring the sarcastic note in her words.

The door opened, interrupting whatever thoughts were going on both girls' heads, and a stumbling Sorphan stepped in.

"I'm not… feeling well…" He said groggily as he walked swaying from side to side.

"You should get some rest if you're tired." The brunette girl said, not really paying attention.

"I'm really sleepy…" He insisted, getting closer to the couch.

Then it dawned on her, Sorphan was as energetic and hyperactive as usual five minutes ago. Such drowsiness wouldn't hit that fast. She got up, approaching him and just as she did, he collapsed almost on top of her.

She managed to grab him, preventing him falling on his face on the ground and her and Zanya, who had bolted outta her seat the second she saw him fall, helped him lay down on the couch. He was fast asleep as the two girls stood, watching his sleeping form.

"Hey…?" Zanya started, but stopped as something came over her. "Huh? What the…!?" She felt like she had just come out of one of her intensive training exercises. "Somethin's wrong with me, too…" She couldn't resist a yawn as she fell back onto the couch, right next to the sleeping form of the brunette. "… I… feel… sleepy…" And she was out, dropping like a fly over Sorphan, and sleeping profoundly in seconds.

"What's going on?" Schala cried out in mild panic. This sudden sleepiness couldn't be normal, not so intense. She stumbled backwards, trying to think on what she could do, what could possibly be causing all of this.

"Ugh!?" She cringed, holding her head in her hands as a sudden pain echoed through her entire being, stealing the strength in her legs.

"… What is this?" Everything was getting fussy, out of focus as she felt like she couldn't keep her eyes opened any longer.

The last thing she heard was Shiva's voice screaming her name in her mind as everything went black and she collapsed on the carpeted cabin floor.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Heya, all! Here goes the next instalment, I hope you liked it!!_

_Well… there's not much more to say… except to apologize for the delay… I don't know if I mentioned this before but, boy do I really hate exam season…_

_Anyway, again, I hope you liked it! Next is the dream… heheheh…I ain't telling you a thing!! Y'all have to come back to read it XD_

_Take care, people!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	13. Chapter 13: Just A Dream

**Disclaimer:**_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII… SO WHAT!? Neither do you! … probably… _

**Chapter 13 – Just A Dream**

**  
**

Everything was dark. Schala tried to open her eyes only to find out she couldn't.

_**What the…!?**_

She couldn't even feel her eyes closed, or opened or at all! She tried to move next, but again she couldn't feel her limbs. She couldn't feel anything physical, only the panic that was slowly starting to rise.

_**What is going on? Am I… dead?**_

Then in an instance, all came to her. It was so much it hit her like a hard punch. She was suddenly aware of all her surroundings. She could see, smell, hear and feel everything around her and then some. She was crossing a dense forest, but she didn't seem to be in control of her movements. It was almost as if she was just a passive observant. If that was really the case, the only thing she could do was watch.

There were three people dressed as galbadian soldiers, running through a path in the woods. They moved in tactical formation, the head of the team, the one her mind was currently occupying, was probably the squad leader. But, why were they running around in the middle of nowhere?

The person suddenly turned allowing Schala a closer inspection on the others. One was very slim, and though the soldier carried a standard galbadian issued machine gun, as well as the tall and strong one on the rear, there were also two strange blades strapped on the back. The last member of the squad, one that could easily make three of her, carried something large but she was unable to identify any details from her position

They kept running aimlessly and Schala could have sworn they had passed by the same tree at least three times already. They were walking in circles!

"Uhh, Lana…" A voice called out from behind her, making the person turn around to face it.

_**What a…? And… Lana!? **_Saying Schala was surprised was quite the understatement. The voice, along with the name called, they were both female! She didn't know women were allowed in the Galbadian army.

'Lana's' body tensed considerably, as if she could anticipate what was about to come.

"… are you sure this is the right way?" The voice continued, Schala could now tell came from the slim soldier.

She tensed even more, betraying her response. Schala would have shaken her head in disappointment, if she had a body. _**Idiot…**_

"Well…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, so much Schala herself didn't fully hear it. But she didn't even have to say anything, the other two soldiers already knowing the truth. They shook their heads, like Schala felt like doing.

The large soldier in the back stepped forward, removing the helmet. Again the SeeD was taken back. An army team fully formed of women was unheard of, by her at least. This woman was quite tall and seemingly muscular, her brown hair was cut short, army style and still she wore a dark blue and white bandana leaned over her forehead. She had a tough and rough look, but watching closely, her blue eyes showed kindness. However you'd look at her, she appeared to be a good ally.

"Hoo-boy, not again…" She sighed, shaking her head again and with her hands on her hips, though a playful smile played on her lips.

The other woman also removed her helmet. This one had dark brown skin, reminding her of Raijin's, and salient cheek bones. Her dark brown hair was arranged in several, long braids, all tied in a low pony tail that reached her upper back. She had a higher stance, staring right into her eyes with her penetrating dark brown through half opened lids. One of her eyebrows rose as she saw 'Lana' starting to fidget with her weapon, refusing to keep eye contact.

She wasn't exactly saved by the bell, but the incident was put on hold when a group of strange mushroom like monsters, with big round eyes and umbrella like tops, jumped, menacingly from the dense vegetation.

The women spread out, immediately reaching for their guns. They fired a few rounds, hitting two of the Funguars dead on. The dark skinned woman moved swiftly around, effectively avoiding the creatures' rays and catching several with her shots while the other one stood a bit back, firing single shots at the beasts but causing serious damage.

As for her own body, the woman was shooting like crazy. It didn't even seem like she was actually aiming at anything, but surprisingly enough, as she looked closely she noticed all her bullets hit their targets. She knew how to handle a weapon, Schala had to admit.

The painful shrieks of the creatures filled their ears as the number of monsters diminished considerably. Lana was suddenly caught off guard as two more Funguars showed up outta nowhere, sending their rays at her. She twirled quickly, one of the attacks scratching her helmet sending it flying off. The woman rolled on the ground, firing all the time. As she stood the two creatures fell, lifeless.

They all breathed in relief. Those damn creatures were everywhere and that had not been the first time they'd had an encounter. In fact, those were the only opponents they'd had since their arrival.

"You ok?" The slim woman asked.

"Great!" It was the first time Schala had heard Lana's voice and, as it seemed it was her body, the voice sounded even more alien. She leaned down to catch her fallen helmet, cringing at the state it was in. "But the helmet is _'dead'_…" She sighed out, throwing the item into the tall grass.

"Better it than your head, I suppose." The large one said with a joking smile.

Lana glared at her, who just shrugged it off. "Funny Wada, really! I'm laughing on the inside." In fact, she was laughing on the outside as well, as she turned away from her companions to hide it.

They walked a bit more finding a stream. Deciding to take a small break, Lana leaned over the water, splashing some of it on her face.

And that's when Schala saw her face for the first time. If she could, her eyes would have widened at the sight. She had black hair, split to the side and reaching just bellow her ears, a longer bang almost covering the right side of her face. Her eyes were sparkling emerald green, that for a moment reminded her of Sorphan's, for the life they seemed to bear. But her shock came from her features that, even though they were ever so slightly similar to her own, they were different. What got to her was seeing herself in a different face, a different body, even though she was already aware of her situation, actually seeing it was disturbing, to say the least.

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the women, 'Wada', spoke.

"Hey, aren't we here to fight a war? You know, against the almighty Timber army?"

_**Almighty Timber army!?**_ Schala was getting more and more confused by the second. Timber had been in Galbadia's control for years now… what Zanya had told her before she fell must've been affecting her… dream? Whatever it was!

Lana froze yet again. Schala was actually starting to think this woman was completely clueless… no way she was a soldier. _**This has to be the strangest dream I ever had…**_

"Yeah, so why are we wasting our time messin' with these animals?" The slim woman asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, you see… Kiara, it's just that, uhh…" She was fidgeting again and the same dread came over the SeeD as it was coming to Lana's companions.

"We're lost again, aren't we?" Kiara said with a sigh. Apparently this wasn't the first time…

Lana stretched suddenly, eying the other two girls, each with an eyebrow raised, as a new look of determination, or plain recklessness, ran over her.

"Anyway… We're going home!" And she turned away from the others, walking fast. "Deling city, here we come!" And she ran off, the other two girls struggling to keep her pace.

She was, apparently, running aimlessly, and much to their surprise, after a few minutes the sound of battle and gunfire reached their ears. They seemed to have found one of the fronts. A few more metres ahead, they came by an army truck, seemingly left by some other squad from the nearby fight.

"Finally, we found them." Kiara said, scanning the tree line for movement.

"Yeah! Let's get in there and… Lana, what are you doing?" Wada asked as the other woman was climbing onto the truck.

"What d'ya think? I'm going home." She yelled from inside the transport while rummaging through its contents in search of the keys.

"We can't just leave! We're in the middle of a fight, in the middle of a war!!" Wada added, looking incredibly at the side of the military vehicle, as she could see through its armour.

"Not to mention that's not even our transport. You crashed it in the swamp, remember? We can't take someone else's car, we'd get into trouble." Kiara joined in, stepping near the large woman as, despite their words, they approached the truck.

"Well, you can stay if you want, but I'm outta here! Hah!" She exclaimed from within as she finally found what she was looking for. Starting the engine, she peaked her head outta the passenger's door, gazing at the other two. "So… how's it gonna be?" She asked with a smirk.

The two women glanced at each other for a second and then rushed to the transport, Wada sitting on the back as Kiara rode shotgun. They didn't say a word as Lana's smirk widened in satisfaction.

"Alright, we're gonna have to floor it! I don't wanna be late!" She said before speeding out.

The two women exchanged an amused and knowing look as they left the war zone, Deling City as their destination.

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala swore, for everything that's good and mighty, she would _never_,_ever_ ride in anything that woman drove, forgetting for a second her belief on everything being nothing more than just a dream. Lana drove like a madwoman, neglecting the roads and all driving regulations, she sped through the scenery, in her so called shortcuts. It was almost five hours of grabbing onto the seats for dear life, for the other girls, at least, and Schala was more than surprised the truck hadn't flipped over on several occasions.

But finally, a city could be seen as they hastily headed towards it. She heard the other women comment on they making an almost impossible good time, leaving the SeeD wondering if Lana really knew what she was doing.

They entered the city, her slowing the vehicle's march, but not by much. Arriving at a sort of square, she abruptly stopped the truck, seeming to park it in the middle of the street.

"Well, here we are! Home at last." She said as she jumped outta the driver's seat, stepping on the back of the truck and not even giving Schala the time to examine where they were nor her companions a chance to comment.

The women followed her towards the back of the transport were Lana seemed to be removing her chest armour and pads.

"Now, what are you doing?" Wada inquired as she leaned against the walls of the compartment.

Lana raised her head to face them, a sheepish smile on her features. "I can't possibly go to a bar in full uniform! They're not the most comfortable and I'd like to relax a bit over a couple of drinks."

"We can't just leave our stuff here!" Kiara mentioned, also removing her armour as she agreed, partially, with Lana. Of course she knew her remodelling was due to more than just comfort.

"Not to mention you can't just park in the middle of the street!" Wada added, her armour already on the cabin floor.

"Chill ladies, it's cool." She said as she threw them a bag already containing her discarded equipment. "We can put our stuff in there and take it with us. As for the truck, someone will take it outta here, eventually." She added, passing by them to leave the key in the ignition.

The women exchanged a look, shrugging and also placing the armour plates and the riffles in the large gym bag, leaving their other weapons, the blades and the huge axe, with them. They then followed her outside the vehicle where she was standing there, impatiently waiting for them.

Lana was still using the dark blue pants and black boots, typical of her uniform, but her jacket was off, tied up around her waist, having only a white top on herself. She also carried a side arm, tightly strapped on her right hip. Kiara and Wada were also wearing the uniform's lower parts, but preferring to keep their jackets on, Kiara had hers zipped up as Wada had it opened, the sleeves folded till her forearms.

"Alright, then! How's about a drink!?" she asked once she noticed their approach.

"A drink? Is that why we're here?" Kiara inquired as the other woman avoided her stare. She shook her head, they had a war to fight and, even though it wasn't really her war, the sooner they got it over with the better.

"Let's just get smashed. Then we can go back and SMASH anything in our way!" Wada joined in, though she was pretty sure they wouldn't be going anywhere else that night. She was also pretty sure they'd probably get into trouble after their stunt… might as well enjoy the night.

"C'mon girls… I just wanna have a friendly drink with you two. Ya know, girl's night out!" She added, smiling widely as she kept walking towards a barricade ahead of them, the other women snickering, but following behind.

As they neared the blockage on the road, two soldiers sitting on top of it, whistled at the girls. Sure, there were more appealing girls around, in less clothing as well, but that didn't prevent men from acting like men.

They passed by them, Wada half turning to send them a rude gesture, and they continued down the streets, though Lana was slightly peeved. A woman likes to get a bit of attention once in a while and who knew? That day might be the day that the handsome piano player finally noticed her.

The three women kept their pace through the busy streets of Deling City. The city that never sleeps was still buzzing with activity at that hour, and it would continue that way almost till morning. They stopped in front of a hotel, Lana breathing in deep before she stepped inside.

Deling Hotel was the more luxurious place in the city, known for its comfort and rich environment, as well as the bar and live music. They headed downstairs, to the bar, descending a richly decorated golden staircase. One might think their casual aspects might seem outta place, but truth was many soldiers attended the bar, especially now at a time of war, to loosen up after a hard day on the field.

The room was quite wide for a basement establishment. The floor was red carpeted; the tables, chairs and counters were of rich design, giving an enhanced sophisticated feeling to the place. There was also a small stage area which bore a magnificent looking ebony piano. Schala was so taken in her observation of the room, she barely noticed a waitress approaching them.

"Welcome! Your usual table is ready." She told them smiling.

_**Usual table? I guess they come here a lot…**_ Schala wondered as the young woman, probably in her mid twenties, greeted them in recognition.

"What?" Lana looked around, for a second she swore she heard someone's voice though she couldn't understand it.

"What's wrong?" Kiara asked, seeing her strange actions.

"I… I don't know." She said in all truth as she shook her head to clear it.

She turned back to the waitress, who was still smiling while waiting for their answer.

_**What's going on?**_ Schala let out of frustration, for a moment not paying attention to her - Lana's - surroundings.

"Huh!?" Again, Lana had to shake her head to clear her mind. There was a strange background noise in her head for a while and it was starting to disturb her.

"Lana, is there something wrong?" Kiara inquired again as the woman kept shaking her head.

"Ahh… I'm not quite sure." She confessed as she turned back at her companions with a confused expression.

"Wait a second…" Wada cut in. "… Is your head buzzing…?"

The others turned to face her fully, both their eyes widened.

"W-What… You, too?" Lana managed to stutter.

"Yeah, ever since we were in Timber." They turned to Kiara as she nodded.

"Me, too…" She informed.

They all stared at the ground, their minds wondering on the possible causes of the strange buzzing, that occasionally would strengthen, giving them the strange impression of someone whispering in their ears. The bulky woman spoke first, pulling the others outta their thoughts.

"Hey, we're just tired, that's all." She concluded, shrugging. "We'll be fine after a drink or two…" She added, patting the others on their backs, a bit too hard making them almost stumble forward. "… or three…" She finished, smirking.

The two women returned her smile, as Lana turned to the still awaiting waitress, nodding and thanking her for her patience.

"Ok, this way, please." She told them as she guided them towards a side table, right in front of the beautiful piano on the small stage.

As they walked, Schala noticed the bar was full of people, many soldiers and couples, and a group of young women in the table nearest to the stage, sighing something about "cute" and "talented", she didn't quite catch.

They approached their seats, sitting down and relaxing but Lana remained standing, gazing into nothing, apparently lost in thought.

_**Why is this happening to me? **_Schala wailed, feeling a hint of despair, and a lot of frustrating regarding this _dream_…

_Today's the day!_

"We're goin' all out tonight, right girls!?" She cried out, maybe louder than she should but the background chatter from the remaining occupants of the small bar kept her outburst from reaching their ears.

The two women watched as she clenched her fist, throwing it in the air in a, not so silent, cheer, her eyes all starry and a goofy smile on her face. They exchanged a look and a smile as she sat next to them, just as the same waitress neared their table.

"May I take your order?" She asked softly once she was close enough.

"The usual!"

"Me, too."

"Keep 'em coming!"

Each woman replied in turn and the waitress, pocketing her little notepad in her apron, nodded walking back to the counter to fetch their drinks.

Lana was all but half laid over the table as she lazily locked her gaze on the staircase on the other edge of the room. _Any second now…_ she thought expectantly, but was dragged outta her thoughts by her companions.

"So, Lana… Julius should be making his appearance soon." Wada casually pointed out making the raven haired woman to almost snap her neck at her, eyes widened and a slight blush on her cheeks. "You goin' for it tonight?" She added, but her response was delayed as the waitress returned with their drinks.

"Here we go." She cheerfully said as she placed the "usual" drinks in front of each woman. A Pina Collada for Lana, Bloody Mary for Kiara and an oversized mug of Beer for Wada. "Call out if you need anything else." She added with a smile before stepping towards another table.

The soldiers immediately attacked their drinks, well two of them at least. Lana seemed to have lost herself in her thoughts, or fantasies, once again as she just fiddled her fingers around her glass. Her friends shared a glance, smiling knowingly at the girl's antics.

"You gonna talk to him tonight, or what?" Kiara asked straight off, almost making her spill her first sip of her drink.

"What!?" She managed to let out after collecting herself, gaining a few laughs from the dark skinned woman. Her words finally sunk in and she sent them a soft glare, her eyes quickly returning to her glass. "I… I don't know… I really don't want to bother him…" she said, hesitantly.

"Lana…" Kiara took in a deep breath before continuing. "We've been coming in here every night for at least a week…"

"Ten days." Wada cut in, as she called the waitress, pointing at her mug for a refill.

"Thanks…" She said, looking at the woman through the corner of her eyes before turning back to the other. "We've been coming in here every night for the past ten days, and you still haven't even talked to him! C'mon, Lana, what's the problem?"

"They are…" She said after a moment of silence. She was pointing at the table beside theirs, where a bunch of young women in rich and fancy clothes, sat and talked among themselves. They were always there, at the bar and after every single performance by the handsome piano player, they would surround him and engage in amiable conversation, to which he reciprocated. They were prettier and more sophisticated, though their not-occasional-enough, giggles were really innervating to her, still… how was she, sweaty -most of the times- and in uniform ever to get a chance?

She sighed heavily and, as like she had just read her thought, Kiara sighed as well, looking at the annoying girls. "That doesn't sound like you, to quit so easily." Lana adjusted in her seat, taking one more sip on her drink as she continued. "Besides, those girls are all looks. If he gets infatuated with them, then he's not worth the trouble." She sighed again as her friend didn't seem to be listening.

Kiara was going to insist but Lana suddenly straightened up in her seat, almost jumping off of it completely. She got a slight nudge and turned to Wada that signalled the stairs.

Someone was descending the decorated staircase in a slow, but steady, pace. He wore a dark blue tux with a pristine white shirt underneath and a black bowtie. The room fell in deep silence, with the occasional sigh from the girls in the other table.

Lana was, once again, stunned and breathless, gazing at his handsome face with dreamy eyes. And, surprising enough, Schala found herself in a very similar situation, except for the dreamy eyes part. In the instant the man's face had become visible she froze, her eyes would have widened if she was capable of doing so. And, in that moment, she was sure that had to be a dream, sure the strangest dream ever, but still just a dream.

First, Zanya's Timber talk had materialized then, right now standing in front of her, was the young man with whom she had danced just the other night. He had the same lean physique, the same elegant posture, the same face and eyes… only the hair colour seemed to be a moderate brown instead of black, in any other way, it was the stranger from that night. So there was no other explanation, this had to be a dream. Of course, the _why_ exactly was she in the body of a moronic female galbadian _soldier,_was beyond her.

The man walked to the front of the stage, turning to face the audience. His gaze fell on every single occupant and, were Lana not so entranced by him, she could have noticed his eyes remained on her for a second longer than anyone else. He smiled softly as he bowed to the guests and went to sit in the piano, stretching his fingers and beginning to play.

It was a beautiful song, one Schala remembered from young age and, curiously enough, the same song that played the first time she'd danced outside of mandatory classes, with the stranger. Again, more evidences to confirm her theory. The same song, even the same smile on the man's handsome features… this had to be a dream.

Lana sighed, her head supported on her hand as she leaned on the table, her starry eyes trailed on the piano player.

_**Please, let this be a dream!**_

"Hey, Lana!" Kiara whispered, poking her side to get her attention.

It took her a while to be able to tear her eyes from him and she turned with a slightly annoyed expression, demanding to know why were they interrupting her silent reverie.

"You, go for it! Now's your chance." Kiara added, the other woman nodding enthusiastically from behind her.

"But… He's playing now! I don't want to interrupt him…" Lana excused herself, fidgeting with her hands.

"Oh, don't you chicken out now! Go on, go wave at him." Kiara encouraged, almost shoving her outta her seat.

"Give me a break…" Lana said as she was forced to stand up otherwise she would have fallen flat on the floor.

"So you say, but you can't back out now." Wada added after another draught of her beer.

The black haired frowned, turning her back to her friends and stepping closer to the stage. As she did so, she noticed movement in the other table. The women there had torn their gaze from the handsome man and were looking at her, surprise quickly turning to anger as they openly glared at her, already suspecting what she was gonna do.

She hesitated, but her friend's words replayed in her head _"That doesn't sound like you, to quit so easily."_ It really didn't sound like her at all. Her eyes travelled back to the piano and the man sitting by it as a new wave of determination flowed in her and she stepped forward. _Besides, if I run from this, the girls will call me a wuss forever._

She climbed onto the side of the stage, not daring to step any closer._Ah… to be this close to Julius…_ she thought as her mind wandered. He had his eyes closed as his fingers traced the piano keys expertly. He sported a soft, pleasant smile, feeling the music coursing through him. She closed her eyes as well, enhancing her other senses in the process. The music touched her core and she started to rock slightly from side to side in its rhythm. The soft scent of his cologne reached her nose and she smiled as she felt closer to him than ever.

_**Is this woman for real…?**_ Schala couldn't stop but wonder. Sure, she had been surprised by his appearance, but for her to get so dazed over a man… it was so_not_her.

OOOOOOOOOO

Back at their table, Kiara and Wada were smiling as they stared at their friend as she stepped closer to the piano player. They had to admit, despite all they had said to encourage her to go, they never truly believed she'd actually do it. The dark skinned woman turned in her seat, facing her bulky companion.

"Pay up!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Feeling someone close, Julius opened his eyes immediately finding the object of his impression. It was that woman… something about her crude, army look caught his attention the first time he saw her. Sure, not in an extremely good way at first, but one time a few days ago he caught her looking at him and her eyes, her lively green eyes, were so intense, so full of emotion that for a moment, he couldn't help but stare. And even though her eyes were now closed, he could feel their intensity, her feelings. He had never encountered a woman quite like her…

She slowly opened her eyes, wanting to gaze again at his lovely face and, as her eyes focused on him, it took her a few seconds to register his eyes were now open and looking straight at her. She stopped swaying at once, her eyes widening as she saw him smiling at her. And then it happened.

_Oh, crap…_

She smiled, but it soon turned into silent giggles. _NO, not now!!_ But it was too late to stop, her giggles were becoming more violent and were starting to become audible as she was unable to settle herself. She stepped back, her hands darting up to over her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound but she knew from experience it wouldn't hold for long.

She then turned to leave, glancing at her table and seeing the other women barely holding their laughter. That sobered her enough to turn back and give him a slight nod/bow and wave, a hand still over her mouth and a deep blush covering her cheeks. She turned away completely, trying to control the soft spasms from the hiccups she knew would follow and avoiding looking at anything but the ground, not seeing the death glares from the women from the other table, nor her friends bursting in laughter.

_**Sad…**_

She reached her seat and immediately sat down, her nervous laughter escaping her control as she started sipping her drink again, drowning her nervousness.

"Good work, Lanara." Kiara managed to say once she was able to control her laughter, but still with the occasional giggles at the memory.

"Mission successful!" Wada added smiling, though not as amused as the dark skinned woman and with her wallet considerably lighter. "I didn't think you'd actually do it. Our popularity rating's gone up a point."

"Though, not exactly in a good way…" Kiara added as she noticed the girls from the other table were still glaring at them. "… Even so, your display was pretty pathetic. I'd say you dropped a couple of points in the sex appeal scale." She finished with a smile.

Lana only mumbled something incoherent as she drank up the contents of her glass, the blush still ever so present on her face. Her thoughts strayed from her earlier embarrassment back to his face and his scent…. She'd been so close to him, she could still feel his presence around her.

The song stopped and the people acclaimed Julius for the wonderful talent he had, clapping and cheering as he bowed respectfully and thanked everyone. Lana, however, didn't even notice all of that, too busy in her own dream world to be bothered with anything else.

She also didn't notice when, after dismissing the advances of the other girls, he excused himself, walking casually towards the soldiers' table.

"Aaa…" Kiara straightened up suddenly, her gaze locked on something behind the raven haired. Her eyes widened and her mouth was left ajar as she turned to face Wada.

"Hunhhh…?" Wada let out, her eyes equally wide as she saw the young man walking closer to their table. She looked down at Kiara as she recovered from her shock. Sharing a glance, they both turned back at Lana who didn't seem to notice anything at all.

She suddenly let out a sigh. "Julius is so handsome…"

The two resisted rolling their eyes as they motioned to stand.

"Lana, we're takin' off." Kiara told her, having to tap her on the shoulder for several times before she finally acknowledged them.

When she did, she immediately stood up. "H-Hey! Where are you girls off to in such a hurry?" She wailed as she was about to follow them out.

Wada stood in front of her, one arm in front of her as the other carried the bag with their stuff. "It's on us tonight. Relax and stay a while, Lana." She walked forward, forcing the smaller woman back on the boot. "Enjoy." And with a mischievous smile, she walked away joining Kiara at the counter.

Lana huffed in frustration. _So much for a girls' night out._ She thought, crossing her arms under her chest and lowering her head to the side in thought. This night was _not_ developing as she'd planned, starting with her huge embarrassment and now she was being abandoned by her friends. _Really, what else is gonna happen now…?_

"Is this seat taken?" A soft masculine voice sounded behind her.

She was spooked, almost jumping from the sudden calling and turned around ready to scowl at the offender. Her anger died down immediately as she identified the speaker. Julius dazzled her with a radiant smile that made her weak in the knees. Unable to say a single word, and already feeling the nervousness returning full force, she smiled awkwardly and gestured her response, casually pointing at the comfortable sofas.

She hastily and clumsily sat down and only then did he sit as well. Through every single motion, his eyes never left her face leaving the girl even more uncomfortable and feeling the giggles rise up again.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" He asked, slightly nodding towards her fellow soldiers and aware of her awkwardness.

The silly smile refused to leave her features as she shook her head vigorously, signalling her negative response and still unable to utter a single word. Her eyes lowered, suddenly finding the half full glass containing the remains of her drink.

_I wonder if it's half-full or half-empty…_Her mind started to wander, trying in vain to escape the present situation.

"Good." He said as he still gazed at her.

That burst her mindless babble like a bubble, her eyes widening and her giggles starting to surface. _Oh Hyne, oh Hyne, it's really HIM! Right here, sitting next to me. _Her eyes glanced at him, quickly focusing back in her drink once she saw he was still looking at her with his intense dark brown eyes. _He's looking at me!! I can't believe this is happening! What do I do!? Kiara, Wada… I'm so GONNA KILL YOU TWO!! Leaving me alone with HIM!! I should say something, is he expecting me to say something!? Oh, what can I possibly say!?_

_**What could she possibly be thinking about…?**_

She dared to look at him again from the corner of her eyes. _He's so handsome… _She was visibly fidgeting now and could feel her uncontrollable giggles itching to come out, even as she held them back with everything she had. Her eyes focused on his face again and she was, once again, mesmerized by his handsome features and beautiful smile.

She was so into it that didn't even catch a word when he spoke, only realizing his mouth had moved after it stopped.

"Huh… What was that?" She blurted out, her voice unstable.

He didn't suppress a chuckle, as he repeated his previous statement. "I asked what was so funny. You were laughing when you heard me play." He tilted his head in mock sadness, but still kept his entrancing smile. "Was I that bad?"

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. To think that she might have offended his wonderful talent with her nervousness…

"NO!!" She yelled a little too loudly, gaining the curious, and hateful, stares from the other occupants of the room. She buried herself in her seat, trying to hide her embarrassment and failing miserably.

Julius just smiled, waiting for her to pull herself together.

"I… Wh-When I get nervous I just can't stop laughing and giggling…" She raised her eyes to his. "It's not pretty, I hate it when it happens but I can't stop…"

"I made you nervous?" He asked suddenly, moving on the couch and closing the distance between them.

She grew redder as she lowered her head to hide it and nodded emphatically.

"I'm sorry." His voice softened as he spoke barely above a whisper. "You don't have to be nervous around me." He continued as he leaned closer.

She could sense him nearing, his alluring scent filling her nostrils with a soft aroma. He leaned closer and such was her state of shock, her usual nervous reaction wasn't even triggered.

"Say…" his face was now right next to her and she could feel his breath on her skin. "Would you like to talk somewhere private? I have a room here…" He whispered in her ear.

"I-In your room!?" She barely managed to let out as he drew a bit back, their eyes locking once more.

"Well… It's pretty hard to talk freely here. Everyone's listening in." He said in a low tone, his eyes darting from side to side before locking again in hers.

Lana straightened suddenly. "Huh!?" And she looked around her, snapping her neck from side to side she noticed they were surrounded. The room had grown dead silent as everyone seemed to edging on their seats, squirming to hear what they talked about. Once noticing they had been found, they tried to disguise it, engaging in conversation with those around them, but it was pretty obvious that Lana and Julius were the centre of all the attention.

"So, if you'd like to, please come by." His voice made her turn to face him again, seeing him retreat on the seat, motioning to leave. "I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now. Ask for my room at the front desk." He said and rose from the couch, rounding the table and stopping right in front of her, bending down so that their eyes were at the same level and he whispered low enough for only her to hear.

"I'll be waiting for you."

He bowed and turned around, starting to leave and ignoring all the stares and the attempts at getting his attention. He only stopped at the top of the staircase, glancing back at her. She hadn't moved a muscle, still registering his words. She was such a curious woman, any other would have said yes in a heartbeat. He smiled as he headed to the elevator and up to his room.

Back at the table, Lana was still stunned, staring into oblivion as parts of the last minutes conversation, or speech from his part, replayed in her mind.

"_Would you like to talk somewhere private?"_

"_I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now."_

"_I'll be waiting for you."_

_Am I dreaming? _She couldn't stop but to wonder. Everything just seemed so surreal.

… _**This is a dream… This is a dream…**_ Schala repeated to herself several times as a mantra… like if saying it, or thinking it times enough would make it real.

_No, this can't be a dream!_ She said to herself, almost willing it to be so. An opportunity like this came once in a life time and her imagination wasn't fertile enough to come up with all this.

_**This is too weird to a dream…**_ She sighed, resigned.

_Julius…? Wants to talk to me…? Alone in his room!! _And the raven haired blushed furiously as all sort of thoughts invaded her, already fragile, mind with the most random images.

… _**She talks to herself too much… **_Schala was starting to get annoyed at the woman's mental monologue, refusing to acknowledge the little voice in the back of her head that whispered, sarcastically _**"And you don't?"**_

_What are you thinking, Lanara! Get it together!_ She slapped herself mentally, standing up from her seat and slowly walking towards the counter, where her two friends were drinking.

Schala sighed inside the other woman's head, wondering when this freakish experience would ever end.

_Ok, first control my nerves… easier said than done, but I'll bite down the giggles… at least that! Also, I tend to talk too much, no man likes that… what would explain a lot of my past encounters… Anyway! I'll bite down my tongue today! I'll just shut up and listen. Yes, shut up and listen! I can do that._

She was so busy with her thoughts, as she zigzagged between the remaining tables, she completely ignored the glares she was getting from just about everyone. She approached her companions with an uneasy smile and they turned in their benches to greet her.

"So… you really got it on back there! What did ya talk about?" Wada asked as she took another gulp of her third or fourth beer.

"Not much…" She answered hesitantly. "He wanted to talk more privately… we're going back to his room… to talk." She kept repeating, almost as if she was trying to convince herself.

The women raised their eyebrows at that. They knew Julius was a very popular man and that he could have just about any woman he wanted. Though the why he seemed to be interested in Lana eluded them, they knew there must be a reason behind it. Besides, she was a big girl… though…

"Be sure to make the conversation sophisticated." Wada pointed out.

"Yeah, as in _conversation_and not what you usually do… talking on and on and never listening." Kiara added, thinking back.

"No worries, ladies! I got it covered!" She said, once again seemingly to convince herself as well as her friends.

They exchanged a doubtful look, turning back to her and shaking the dreadful feeling away.

"Just be sure not to embarrass yourself with being… well, you!" Kiara told her flat out, but her spirits were so high up there, not even that brought her down.

"Okay, I'm going!" And she headed for the staircase, a new determined expression adorning her face.

"Have fun!" Wada yelled out from the counter, gaining a smile and a thumb's up from her as she continued climbing towards the lobby.

There, she walked up to the reception, the nervousness she had been holding off suddenly returning full force as realization of what she was about to do finally caught up to her.

_C'mon, Lanara! You can do this!_ She psyched herself up, but upon reaching the counter she could only babble.

"Welcome to Deling Hotel. Are you checking in?" The receptionist asked, the usual trademark smile plastered on his face.

"I-I'm… Wh-Where… Wh-Which…" She stuttered, shaking her head continuously to try and clear it, but failing miserably.

_**Is she really going?**_ Schala wondered, doubting the woman could go through with it.

"Ah, you must be Miss. Lanara Loire!"

The woman raised her head, her eyes wide as she nodded.

The man's smile widened as he continued. "I've been expecting you. Mr. Julius Heartily's room in on the penthouse floor, room number 14. He's awaiting your arrival." He said as he pointed towards the elevator. "That will lead you to his floor. Have a pleasant evening."

She just kept nodding, walking slowly towards the lift and pressing the last floor's button. She was nervous beyond all reason, but kept herself in check, after all, she didn't want to make a fool of herself… well, a bigger fool.

The elevator's ping signalled her arrival and the doors opened revealing a wide corridor. She stepped into in unsurely, and started walking down it, occasionally looking at the doors in search of number 14. Finally finding it, she froze. _Julius's room…_ There was no turning back now… or, was there? She could easily walk away but, what would she tell the others? And what would she tell herself? How could she excuse her cowardly behaviour, how could she look at herself in the mirror if she backed out now?

The door suddenly opened, breaking her thoughts and drawing her attention to the man behind it.

"Hey! Are you standing there for long? You could have just knocked."

Once again, her voice failed her. She always looked at him thinking he was so handsome in his tux, but now… though his posture remained, he looked much more loosened up, the jacket and bowtie were gone, the top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned revealing part of his flawless chest.

When she was able to tear her gaze from his partially exposed chest, she was left wondering on how long had she been starring as an amused smile played on Julius face. She felt herself blush terribly, unable to come up with a coherent thought.

"… Want to come in?" He asked as he stepped to the side.

She only nodded as she walked slowly inside. The room was wide and very cosy. It had two single beds, a small table with two fancy chairs and a larger table near the entrance. But what really got her speechless was the view. The room had a large window giving its occupants a complete view of Deling city, all the way to the Gate. It was just magnificent and she found herself smiling at the beauty in it. Hearing the door closing behind her, she almost jumped back into reality, turning around to face him.

"Thanks for coming." He said gently walking towards her.

Nervousness crept back into her as a goofy smile plastered itself on her face and she responded, awkwardly. "No… Not at all, uh… Thank you for inviting me."

He waved his hand, dismissing her thanks and gesture in the general direction of the chairs. "Have a seat."

The raven haired nodded several times, bending down without even checking if there was something beneath her to sit on. Fortunately, she had been standing right at the feet of one of the beds, ending up sitting on its edge. A stray thought came into her mind as how soft it was but it was soon shoved to the back of her head as she noticed Julius moving past her and sitting on one of the chairs near the window. An amused smile adorned his lips and, amidst her current state of mind, she could not quite place it. Once again her silent reverie was interrupted once he spoke.

"I've told you before, you don't have to be nervous around me." He said softly, her having to take a couple of seconds to register what he said.

_Am I that obvious…?_

"Oh, sorry!" She said between nervous giggles, her eyes suddenly finding the carpeted floor very interesting. "I can't really help it, it's just that… I'm such a big fan of yours!" _Oh, good save! _She thought and she raised her eyes to meet his intense stare.

"So that's why you come to hear me play so often." He said after a second's thought.

As unbelievable as it may seem, the woman seemed to tense up further, all her muscles rigid and eyes wide as saucers as she was barely able to utter a word. "You… You noticed me?"

He chuckled. "You kinda stand out."

Lana didn't know how to react, she was so close to jump of the bed and run away, but resisted the impulse at the last moment._ I stand out…? Is that a good thing…?_ She couldn't stop but wonder, her eyes once again locked on the floor as he stood from the chair and approached her.

"You were always smiling while listening, right?" He said as he stepped in front of her, her view of the carpet suddenly obscured by his shadow. Then he kneeled down, his right hand reaching her chin as he raised it so that their eyes met. "You have beautiful eyes. Though they look a bit scared now." He said calmly and… so close…

She could feel his breath on her skin, giving her goosebumps. His eyes felt like they were penetrating her soul, reaching out into her core and she was just so lost in that deep brown gaze.

Then he smiled, speaking lowly. "Don't worry. I'm not going to pluck'em out and eat'em." That thought hadn't even occurred to her till she heard him say it. "I just want to talk, gazing into those beautiful green eyes."

He suddenly let go and stood up, leaving her feeling a wave of relief and disappointment coursing through her at the same time. He walked to the bigger table and only then did Lana notice there was a tray with several drinks and glasses on it.

"Would you like a drink? Wine perhaps?" He asked, slightly turning his head at her.

She just nodded absentmindedly… _"I must be dreaming…"_

OOOOOOOOOO

A man entered the hotel's lobby, his dark blue eyes examining the whole area before he proceeded down to the bar area bellow. Upon descending half of the staircase, he immediately identified the ones he was looking for.

Down at the bar Wada and Kiara were enjoying their drinks, casually engaging in conversation with the remaining people at the counter and trying their best to keep on ignoring the glares the women from _that_ table kept sending them, even though Lana had left quite a while ago.

They barely noticed the uniformed officer approaching them and staring down at them with disapproving dark eyes.

"SOLDIERS, ATTENTION!!" He suddenly yelled.

The women jumped outta their seats immediately, standing in attention and saluting before their minds even registered what was going on. The bar fell dead silent as everyone set their eyes on the three people by the bar.

Those cold blue eyes swiped the room, its occupants instantly finding other things to focus on.

He cleared his throat before walking around the two soldiers.

"Disobeying orders. Abandoning your posts. Commandeering a vehicle. Drinking on duty." His low tone didn't sound particularly angry, just harsh as each sentence, each wrongdoing they had done that day alone were being numerated, making the girls cringe and tense further.

The man shook his head, his short black hair slightly waving with his motion.

"What's to become of you… as soldiers…?" He raised his eyes at them again as they kept avoiding his gaze, their eyes staring ahead. "You three…" He suddenly frowned and they could feel shivers going up their spine as his chilling gaze seemed to burn at the back of their heads.

"Where's Loire?"

The women tensed up and exchanged a fearsome glance…

OOOOOOOOOO

"Yeah, life in the army is tough! It was really hard getting in, being a woman and all, but during the last years there were so many losses, with the Sorceress's wars and all, the army got pretty desperate even allowing women to join up! Even so, it was very hard to overcome boot camp… they didn't make our life any easier just because we were females…"

… _**She seems loosened up…**_ Schala wondered after a while. Lana had only had one glass of wine and all her nervousness was gone, or the –sometimes- incoherent and uncontrollable babble was part of it, truth was soon after that first sip, she hadn't stopped talking… and it didn't seem like she was gonna stop anytime soon.

"But still you made it in, you and your friends…"

Julius mostly listened with a soft, and very often, amused smile on his lips, only interrupting occasionally but always giving her space to unwind her whole life to him. He never tore his eyes from hers, almost hypnotized by their life and emotions… she was truly an unique woman…

"Yeah! But it was really, really hard. Of course we had stuff going in our favour, it wasn't just our dazzling good looks!" She giggled, his smile widened, Schala rolled her 'mental' eyes. "Wada is really, really strong! She comes from a long generation of farmers… but she hates farming and joining the army was her only way out! She out-strengthened every man in the camp during our training years… Kiara came from a small village in one of the southern islands. It was a very small island, and when the army went there to collect the_quota__per_village to join, she stepped in place of some of the older men, some that had no chance of surviving in any war… she was a hunter and tracker. Her stealth and silent skills were the best in the camp…"

"And you?" He suddenly interrupted curious, he had to admit, as to why a woman like that would ever join the demanding life of military service.

"Me!?" She straitened up, her hand on her chest as she was pretty happy he was interested in her own personal life. "Well, truth is, I don't like fightin' too much, but you get to travel, y'know? I was born and raised in Deling, my family wasn't rich or anything, just ordinary… well, I hated being ordinary. I wanted to see the world, new places and stuff. Joining the army was the way I found to get out of there. I'm not as strong or able as Wada or Kiara, but I found that I had a really good aim! My personal records are still unbeaten when it comes to that! And, with the girls' help, I made it outta boot camp and out there. Sure, the 'world travelling' wasn't exactly what I expected, but it's fun 'cause Kiara and Wada are always with me. Yeah, we're good together and we get the job done!"

She suddenly halted and Julius detected a new glow behind her eyes.

"But, I won't be in the army forever." Her gaze wandered to the window and the magnificent view of the city at night. "I want to quit and become a journalist! Truly travel the world, tell people 'bout all the things I've seen on my travels… I send stuff for Timber Maniacs often, and the other day, one of my articles made the reader's column. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, that was cool…" Her mind was lost to emotions and thoughts on how much she'd see and experience in her life ahead.

"I'm happy for you." Was all Julius could say to that, mesmerized by her dreaming eyes.

She sighed deeply, but suddenly shook her head, like she'd just woken up and wasn't sure of where she was. One look at his face and she started again, much to Schala's frustration.

"Oh yeah, and then…"

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, aren't you going to answer me!? Where's Loire!?" The officer repeated, standing in front of them now and demanding to know the whereabouts of their squad leader.

"Well…" Wada started, unsure on what to answer.

"You see…" Kiara continued but, didn't really know how to elaborate.

They couldn't exactly say that she was upstairs on a bedroom with a man, all alone… even if they were just talking, it would mean trouble and they had enough trouble as it was.

"WHAT!?"

"She left already! Ahmm…" Kiara suddenly had an idea. "She wasn't feeling well and decided to turn in. We… ah… we wanted to stay a bit longer…" She glanced sideways at the other woman, asking for a little hand.

Wada nodded a few times. "Yeah, that's right! The girl can't hold her liquor, on the second go she was already seeing double… heheh…" She laughed a bit, stopping at seeing the man's stern glare.

In a way, they weren't lying… Lana really couldn't drink much without feeling smashed…

After looking at the women attentively, he let go a sigh and shook his head. _That woman can't even do __**that**__ right…_

Dismissing his thoughts, he turned back at the soldiers.

"Well, you'll have to go get her… no matter which state she's in." The women looked slightly confused, but the man soon elaborated. "You have new orders and are set to depart at daybreak! Report by the Presidential Residence, in full uniform, for debriefing… the sooner the better." He added intently, stepping back and getting ready to leave.

The girls renewed their salute stances. "Yes, General, sir!" they said in unison.

He saluted back before leaving the bar and the hotel.

The women relaxed, only slightly, gazing at each other before picking up their things, paying the tab and climbing the stairs to the reception to find out Julius room and get their companion.

OOOOOOOOOO

Her eyes blinked several time, the soft light of the room slowly making it visible as she slowly raised her right arm to rest on her forehead. _Where am I, again…?_

"I'm sorry. I didn't know wine made you sleepy." A voice sounded beside her. "You look adorable when you're asleep." He said with a chuckle as the memories of the last minutes came flowing back into her mind.

She immediately sat up in the bed. "Argh... How'd I fall asleep?" She mumbled, shaking the drowsiness away.

Then she noticed that Julius was no longer sitting at the chair, but right next to her, on the bed. Barely suppressing a yelp, she all but jumped outta the bed, stepping a bit away and placing her hands on her cheeks, feeling their warmth. She paced a bit around, unsure of what to say or how to react… he had been just so close!

After a few minutes she dared to look at him again. He still had his eyes trailed on her, watching her every movements, suddenly making her feel extremely self-conscious. She remembered that, she had done it again… talk and talk all about herself never giving him a chance to say what he wanted to say. After all, he was the one that wanted to talk.

She approached the bed, but did not sit in it.

"Yes?" Julius asked, seeing that she had calmed down and wanted to talk again.

"Ahmm… I… I don't really know that much about you…" Her eyes met his. "Tell me more about yourself. Like...your dreams for the future and stuff." She almost covered her mouth as she didn't mean to say all that. She didn't want to pry, she really didn't know him that well to ask such personal questions.

"I…" And he smiled, reassuring her that she didn't overstep her bounds. "I'd like to write." Seeing her frown, he continued. "It's true, I compose my own songs, the ones I play on the piano, but… I'd like to write a song… having someone sing as I play. I'd really like that." He turned his gaze back at her, she smiled brightly.

"I'd really love to hear it." She said in all truth.

"But… I've been having some problems with the lyrics…" Seeing her saddened expression, he stepped closer, forcing her to raise her head to keep eye contact. "But, thanks to you, I think I can come up with something."

"Thanks to me...?" Her eyes widened. Of course she would love to help, but what did she do?

"Yes..." He clarified. "The many faces you've shown me. Times when you were hurt, worried...Or felt pain deep inside you...Your smiles, your face, your eyes..." He smiled tenderly. "The emotions they've shown me…I think I can come up with a song."

Really!? Wow...I must be dreaming..." She let out lowly.

He suddenly became serious, his intense penetrating stare making her nervous. "But, it's not a dream, is it?" He asked. It was a strange question but he seemed to actually consider it, deep down wanting it to be real.

_Of course it's real… it has to be!_ She was about to say, cheerfully, but she was interrupted with a sudden knock on the door.

"Lana! New orders! Meet by the Presidential Residence, on the double!" She could hear Kiara's voice yelling from the other side of the door.

Her cheerfulness died down, as she replied. "Coming!"

She turned back at him, her eyes a bit sad but… she there was nothing she could do. "I'm sorry… I really have to go…"

He nodded. "I understand."

She started walking towards the door, nut his voice made her turn again.

"You're name… it's Lanara, right?" He asked suddenly.

She cringed slightly. "Actually, I prefer Lana…"

He smiled back, though it was a kinda sad smile. "Lana, then… Will we meet again?"

She smiled an equally sad smile, slightly nodding her head as she walked back to the door.

"I hope so…" She whispered…

Schala watched the whole exchange, somewhat understanding their reluctance at a certainty of ever meeting again. It was just as she was thinking back in Balamb, at the Dincht's… either being soldiers or mercenaries, there were no guarantees of success or safety, they might as well never see each other again…

Her thoughts were interrupted as, just as Lana opened the door and faced her friends, Schala's vision, or Lana's she couldn't be sure, started to blur.

_**What? Not again!!**_ She felt numb and slightly aching, and soon her vision darkened completely, and she lost all sense and conscious…

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hi there!! So good to finally be able to update… don't ask…_

_So, here is chappy 13, the dream… hope you liked it, it was by far the LONGEST chapter ever!! … I hope it's to your liking, everyone!!_

_Thanks to all that have read, and reviewed… Next, on Twisted Fantasy… the arrival to Timber and the Timber Owls!! Meeting Rinoa-boy!! Stay tuned XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	14. Chapter 14: Timber And The Owls

**Disclaimer:**_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… I'll try buying it on e-bay later today…_

**Chapter 14 – Timber And The Owls**

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Schala was suddenly aware and conscious as she darted her eyes open, finding herself staring at the red carpeted floor. She immediately sat up, ignoring the –still present –headache and dizziness brought up by her strange dream and sudden awakening, and scanned her surroundings. She let go a relieved sigh as she verified she was back at the SeeD cabin on the train, and that her companions were also there on the couch. Lanara, whoever or _whatever_ it was, was now gone.

Forcing her sore muscles into activity, she slowly stood up, a light glare directed at the other SeeDs that were comfortably laying on the soft sofa as she had spent the last six hours sleeping on the hard floor._We were… all asleep?_ She wondered as she finally straightened up, stretching her stiff arms.

She caught some movement through the corner of her eyes, shifting her attention back to the others. The blonde SeeD stirred in her sleep, bringing her hands up to her face and lazily rubbing her eyes.

Zanya opened her eyes, seeing only heavy copper hair under her. Frowning she rose slightly to see exactly what was she laying on. Her eyes widened as she recognized the brunet male next to her, seemed that when she fell asleep, she fell over him.

On instinct, or pure panic, the girl stood up with a jump, almost bumping into the other woman that stood a bit away from the couch.

"Schala! Jeez, girl you scared me there for a sec…" Zanya's eyes darted from the frown on the brunette girl's face to the other brunet, now stirring in his sleep. "Ahmm… I was… I mean, I wasn't! It…"

"You ok?" She asked, cutting off her babbling.

Zanya calmed down and nodded as she refocused on the matter at hand. "How long were we out…?"

A heavy and loud yawn from behind her made both SeeDs change their focus on the awakening brunet that was lazily stretching his limbs.

"That was a nice nap… as sudden as it came… What's up?" He asked, seeing the girls' faces so serious.

"It wasn't just a nap. We were all out!" Zanya explained as the young man rose from his seat.

A frown adorned his usual cheerful face as his mind registered the new information. "All of us? How?"

"Hmm… Maybe someone released some sleeping gas?" She said after a second's thought, her eyes rising to meet the others as she added "There're lots of people who resent SeeD."

Schala considered the martial artist's words. _Maybe. Better be more careful from now on._

"Was anything taken? Is anyone hurt?" Sorphan suddenly inquired. If someone was responsible for their joint blackout, surely wasn't just for them to catch a few hours of sleep.

The three teens immediately proceeded in a check of their inventory, since none felt any injuries on them.

"… I don't think so." Schala said after her search, Zanya nodding in agreement.

"What a relief!" Sorphan added his own search finished. Then he remembered something. "How long were we out, anyways?"

Three chimes interrupted and at the same time, enlightening them on the matter.

"Next stop. Timber… Timber…" A monotonous voice sounded from the train's speakers.

"The voyage is around six hours… It means we were sleeping all the time!" Zanya stated.

"I guess… well, it kinda felt like six hours passed in the dream I had. It was such a funny dream." Sorphan said suddenly, his mind going back to Lana's world and all that had happened.

Schala frowned. _I had a dream too. It was anything but funny, though… _She thought, remembering her own horrible experience and realizing she wanted nothing more than to forget every second of it. _I dreamt I was a moron…_

"But seriously, that Lana was just sooo hilarious!" He kept talking, breaking the brunet outta her thoughts.

Schala didn't even register his words immediately, but when she did her eyes darted in the direction of the other teens.

"Hey! There was a Lana in my dream, too!" Zanya suddenly said, her eyes widening slightly at the coincidence. "She was a strange woman, and a Galbadian soldier… right?"

"Lanara, Kiara and Wada…" Schala whispered, almost making the others jump at her voice.

"Huh!? That's it, those three…" Zanya added, more to herself than to the others.

Her head was lowered in thought. _What is going on? Why this strange dream, and how did we all seemed to have the exact same one…?_

The SeeDs were brought out of their thought as three new chimes echoed through the chamber, followed by a message in the same emotionless tone.

"We will be arriving in Timber shortly. For those getting off, please be sure you have all your belongings."

"There's no way we can understand this…" Sorphan's words captured the girls' attention after the automatic message died down, both looking back at the brunet. "Let's just concentrate on our first mission!"

… _I suppose… _

"Very well… We'll put this incident on hold till after the mission."_I'll report it to the headmaster once we get back… maybe he can shed a light on the matter. _Schala concluded, gaining agreeable nods from the other teens.

Looking out the window momentarily, Zanya noticed they were already above ground and that they were slowing down.

"We should be there soon, eh?" She let out, stretching her muscles and cracking her knuckles and neck. "Here we go… Psyche yourself up, baby!"

And she headed for the door, Sorphan following out after her.

"Still kinda sleepy…" He whispered low, stifling a yawn.

They both left, leaving Schala alone with her thoughts which, despite her efforts, kept going back to the dream. She shook her head and, as the train was just about to come to a full stop, she stepped out of the room to join her companions.

OOOOOOOOOO

A short young woman, with straight brown hair, a blue round cap, a yellow vest, white sweater and short army-green pants, stood just outside the train station that connected the small industrialized city of Timber to the small island town of Balamb. She was leaning against some railing, constantly focusing her small but sharp brown eyes on the people exiting the recently arrived train.

The passengers were all ordinary, some traders and tourists. She didn't even pay too much attention to two teenagers that were cheerfully talking as they descended the steps of the station, one very tall brunet male in an olive-green bid-and-brace overalls and a shorter, spiked haired, blonde female in knee length shorts, until she noticed the large and menacing looking weapon strapped in the young man's back.

She was about to approach and make contact, when her eyes detected a third teenager. She looked up at the last arrival as discreetly as she could, carefully and expertly, hiding her surprise. This woman in black leather walked down the stairs in a steady and calm pace as she seemed to be aware of all her surroundings. She saw her frown slightly at the other two's behaviour but said nothing. Her eyes descended to the strange looking weapon the brunette stranger carried on her equally strange looking belt.

_She must be the leader…_ She concluded, staring forward and waiting for the other woman to reach her position. Once she was close enough, she spoke in the most casual tone possible.

"Oh, the forests of Timber sure have changed!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala immediately recognized her contact's password and stopped walking, gazing at the figure that had spoken through the corner of her eyes so that she didn't attract anyone's attention. The young brunette girl was doing the same, her eyes trailed forward as she attempted to keep a casual look to her.

Schala also stared forward, at nothing in particular and, after sparing a glance at her companions, who were talking and hadn't noticed anything, she replied to the greeting, keeping her tone equally casual.

"But the Owls are still around."

She saw from the corner of her eyes as the other girl couldn't resist a small smile as she leaned out of the wall and stepped forward.

"Welcome to Timber, ma'am! Please, come this way, ma'am!" She said as she descended the remaining steppes, heading towards another train line ahead of their position.

Schala glanced sideways and that time the other two seemed to have noticed as they walked towards her.

"You made contact already?" Zanya asked once they got close.

Schala nodded and signalled the young woman on the nearby track that seemed to be signalling to someone, or something, out of their line of sight.

The girl stepped out of the path just as a small yellow train sped up, loudly pulling on the breaks once it reached the platform. The young woman stood safely and calm still ahead of them, waiting for them to follow her.

Sparing a glance among themselves, the SeeDs followed up, avoiding the kid wailing at the closed entrance of a nearby shop, and crossed the track towards the woman.

"This way, please, ma'am, sir, ma'am!" She added before quickly walking up the platform, knocking on the door as the SeeDs followed suit. The door opened and she seemed to talk with someone on the inside before turning to the others and ushering them inside. She looked from side to side repeatedly as they entered. After the last one was in, she stood with her back to the door, still eying her surroundings thoroughly. An arm erupted from inside the train, wrapping around her waist and she was pulled in with a yelp.

The yellow engine train shuttered into life, following the tracks outta town.

They were inside a crude compartment, much like the entrance of the train they were just on but considerably smaller. There was a young man inside with short and slightly spiky, black hair and wearing a blue sweater and blue knee length shorts.

"So you guys are SeeDs?" He asked, his eyes watching their every move as if measuring them up. He took a bit longer as they fell on Schala, a hand went to his stomach as he clenched his fingers on his shirt. His eyes travelled from her milky thighs upwards. He detected a shift in pose as she supported most of her weight on her right leg and she crossed her arms under her chest. The man was enjoying the view, surprised the female SeeD had a body fit for one of those magazines he was always reading.

His eyes kept moving up, eventually reaching her face. He took an involuntary step back as her chilling glare put him in his place. He cleared his throat to excuse himself –or just to change the topic going on in his mind- and returned his gaze onto the brunette's eyes.

Seeing the change on focus, she proceeded with the presentations, though she wasn't very impressed with her first impression of the man.

"I'm the squad leader, Schala." She said with a cold tone. Then, moving her arm to the side, she continued. "This are Zanya and Sorphan."

"I'm the leader of the Forest Owls, you can call me 'Zone'." The man nodded and then pointed to the young woman that had established the first contact. "This is my intelligence gatherer, responsible for obtaining information, much of which will be essential for the mission we hired you for… codename 'Watts'."

"Greetings, ma'am, sir, ma'am!" 'Watts' said, bowing repeatedly.

"Yes, it's very nice to meet ya!" 'Zone' added, stretching his hand to the team's leader.

Schala just gave him a light nod as he kept staring and expecting her to shake his hand. Finally comprehending it was not gonna happen, he shifted his attention to the others, taking each hand in turn as compliment.

As he was greeting the others, Schala grew impatient. She didn't fancy the man and as soon as the mission was over with, the better.

"So, let's get on with it." Her voice caught the other cabin's occupants' attention, all turning to face her. "What do you want us to do?" She asked, going straight to the point.

She wasn't one for small talk.

Zone gulped, giving another step back, almost bumping into Watts. "Yeah… alright." He said and his eyes went around the room, like he was looking for something. "But, to begin explaining the job we need the Boss…"

"I thought you were the leader?" Sorphan cut in, after all, he said it himself he was the leader of the Owls.

"Yeah, but to protect our identities, we address each other with codenames. Boss is just a codename for one of our most recent members." He stopped, thinking back on something. "Since he came on board, we became much more active, really. Once he gets here, we'll start."

"Ah… sir!?" Watts started shyly and slightly uncomfortable. "The Boss spent all night and morning going over the details of the plan, he just went to rest a couple of hours ago."

"He's in his room? With…" He trailed on, gaining several nods off the girl. "Ahh, man…" He wailed, hanging his head.

The SeeDs were a bit confused. Why didn't one of them just go and get this 'Boss' character? What was the problem?

Zone seemed close to despair, his eyes suddenly catching the SeeDs' frames. Breathing in, he turned to face them.

"Hey, Schala… sorry, but could you go get the Boss?" He asked hesitantly. Seeing her slightly confused gaze, he continued. "He's in the last room, up those stairs. It's really hard to miss."

She stayed silent for a few seconds, eying the man. _Is he serious? _

"Is that what you hired us for?" She calmly said in such a cold tone he had to resist a shiver as he stepped back again.

"A-Are you angry!?" He wailed as he seemed to shrink in place, gripping his stomach and, having leaned against the wall of the compartment, he slid down onto a sitting position.

She sighed heavily. _Of course, endure several years of hard and demanding training, so that you can run errands… Oh, please…_

"This is the last time we're doing this kinda thing." She replied in her coldest tone, making the man flinch and grab his gut more strongly.

She walked by her companions, gaining approving and doubtful comments.

"That's right, you tell them. We didn't come all this way for this!"

"These guys don't seem to have it together…"

She mostly ignored them, keeping her pace. The woman, Watts, stood a bit to the side so that she could climb the stairs. Just as she was passing past her, she whispered so that only she could hear it.

"Don't let him intimidate you, ma'am."

The cryptic warning made her stop and turn, but the girl had already stepped out of the stairs and next to the other man. Frowning slightly, she continued walking down the hall.

Reaching the last door, she stopped momentarily before knocking and turning the handle.

The room wasn't anything special. A bit bigger than the other rooms she glanced at, but not by much. It was also very poorly decorated, almost reminding her of her own dorm back at Garden. It had a bed, although wider than hers, a small dresser and a door to the side, probably leading to a small washroom. The walls and bedspread were of a dark blue and had a small dark brown carpet on the floor. The walls were bare except a long and curved red and black object she had never seen before, hanging on the wall over the bed.

She approached the bed normally, ready to awake the sleeping figure that she detected when she entered, but due to the bed's framework, couldn't see in detail from the door. Once close enough, she saw a man sleeping over his stomach. He must have been tired since he didn't even bothered to change out of his dark brown trousers and shiny black shoes, apparently only removing his upper garment, leaving his chest and back bare, and just falling on the bed over the sheets. His head was stuck between two pillows and she could only see that he had short black hair.

She suddenly heard a low growl coming from the bed and noticed there was someone, or something lying in the bed with the man. Looking more closely she noticed a dark brown dog lying on the bed with his head raised and his fangs showing. He seemed to be quite the protective animal, growling in warning if someone got too close to his master as he slept.

The dog barked once, but the girl didn't flinch or moved, at all, remaining on the same spot and locking her eyes with his dark brown ones.

He kept growling till a hand suddenly reached out and patted him gently on the head.

"Sshhh, Angelo. It's still early…" A male voice sounded from the –apparently no longer sleeping- man as he scratched the dog behind his ears. Since the animal didn't seem to calm down, the raven haired sat up on the bed, still keeping his back to the girl, and started stroking 'Angelo' more thoroughly. "What is it, boy?" The animal gave a pleased whine, but kept attentive to the girl's movements.

Following his pet's gaze, he found the subject of his behaviour. He should have guessed he was acting like that because someone had come into the room. He was a bit overprotective, sometimes reminding him of his mother, not for the best reasons.

He expected Zone or Watts to have come to wake him up, of course he should know better since they avoided it the best they could after their last encounter with a grouchy Angelo. He looked at the young woman standing in the middle of his bedroom with a curious stare. He could have sworn he'd seen her before. She then shifted her eyes from the dog and onto his, both of their eyes widened in mutual recognition.

_The woman…_

_The stranger…_

… _from the ball…!!_

Their eyes locked on each other as memories of their previous brief encounter flashed in their minds. He hoped SeeD would come to his aid, but he didn't think it could be her. She on the other hand, never thought she'd see him again…

"… A SeeD…?" He whispered, more to himself than her, as he shifted his position. He remained sitting at the side of the bed, his feet resting on the carpet. "You're really here…" He whispered a little bit louder.

Schala tilted her head slightly, not exactly understanding what he said. The corners of his mouth rose slightly as the idea, the reality that a SeeD was standing in his room finally sunk in. His smile widened so that Schala had to resist stepping back and the next seconds were a blur.

"YEEESSSS!! SeeD is here!" He almost screamed as he jumped off the bed and ran at her. His movement was so sudden she never had a chance to react as he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her in the air, spinning her around and laughing heartily.

In order to keep some degree of balance, Schala's hands went to his shoulders for support, as he kept twirling around. After recovering from her surprise, she spoke, as calmly and clearly as she could, given the circumstances.

"Put. Me. Down." She was having some difficulty resisting her instincts and screaming at him. After a small pause, she continued a bit more forcefully. "Now!"

The young man stopped his spin, looking up at her and reddening ever so slightly as he realized what he was doing.

He set her down gently, stepping back as he quickly removed his hands from her waist and crossed them behind his back.

"Sorry… it's just that, I'm very happy you're finally here!" his eyes flickered as he registered what he just said. "SeeD, I mean…"

She raised her eyes after composing herself and noticed the man was still smiling, his eyes trailed on hers with a pleased glow.

"I've been sending requests to Garden forever, but I never got a response… I'm so glad I talked with Cid directly!"

"Oh…" Schala started, realising something. "So you were looking for the headmaster at the party." She said more than asked.

The raven-haired nodded, a new smile showing in his features as he remembered his meeting with the older man. "Cid is a very nice man." He chuckled as he went on. "I really didn't think SeeD would come out to help a measly group like ours." His eyes rose again locking onto hers. "But after explaining our situation to him, Cid gave the go ahead right away!"

A new determined look appeared in his eyes as he continued. "Now that you're here, we'll be able to carry out all kinds of plans… by the way…" He added as an afterthought "… how many are you?"

"There's me and two others." She said simply.

The smile never left his features as he nodded. "That'll be more than enough…" He frowned slightly, like he was forgetting something. "Oh yeah, my name's Rian." He added.

"Schala." She informed, giving a small nod in acknowledgment.

_Pretty name… _He wondered as he looked at her more closely, trying not to be too obvious as he examined her new attire.

Schala gave a step back, drawing back his attention. "I'm going back to the others."

"Yes, we should go back." He said as he motioned to leave the room. Seeing she hadn't moved, Rian turned to look at her with inquiring eyes. "What?"

She just looked at him, her eyes descending from his face to his lean and un-muscled chest, only then noticing he wore a loose chain around his neck with a ring in it, and returning to his face again.

Following her gaze, his dark chocolate eyes went down and only then did he realise he had nothing on above the waist.

"Oh…" He let out, at the same time stiffing a chuckle. "I guess I should put something on… Will you wait for a bit while I get ready?" He added as he looked back at her face.

Schala just crossed her arms, tilting her head and, taking that as a "yes, but hurry up with it", he stepped towards the door on the side of the compartment. "Will only take a minute." He added as he disappeared behind the door.

Schala sighed. That was turning out to be the strangest day…

A low growl from behind her motioned her to turn. The brown, average sized dog, Angelo, was still staring at her from his –now sitting- position over the bed. He rose and jumped down, never breaking eye contact as he carefully approached her.

Schala turned completely and knelt down so that their eyes were at the same level. They stared at each other for a moment before she, slowly, reached out her hand to him but keeping it at a certain distance.

Angelo stepped back, his sharp fangs showing as she offered her hand, palm up. He calmed down a bit, retreating his fangs as her action peeked his interest. She didn't seem like she wanted to pat him, usual first reaction of just about everyone he met. He stepped closer, sniffing the air and her hand, taking in her scent.

Schala resisted a smile, suddenly realizing that she liked Angelo. In a way, he was very similar to her own self, not allowing people to get too close…

She was barely able to suppress a giggle as she was dragged outta her thoughts when the dog started licking her fingers, wagging his tail happily as he approached and sat in front of her. She almost smiled as she leaned closer to pat the animal, scratching him behind the ears…

OOOOOOOOOO

Rian splashed some water on his face in the small washroom on the side of his room, but his thoughts weren't there. They were in the other room with the girl from the ball. _Schala…_ he corrected himself.

For the past few days, and even though he had been working non-stop on the plan to kidnap President Deling, his mind still entertained him - on occasion - with her face and soft voice. He frowned slightly as he brushed his teeth absentmindedly. Her voice had sounded a bit different that day. It carried a hard edge that wasn't there on the night they danced.

_Maybe it's because she's on a mission and has to keep it professional._ He thought.

There's something about Schala that intrigued and trilled him at the same time. He couldn't read her expressions, never knowing what she was thinking, apart from the initial moment when she looked as surprised as he was. Her face showed no more after that… unreadable…

Without focusing on what he was doing, Rian reached out for a long dark red vest, previously on a nearby hanger, and put it on, his mind still somewhere else as he buttoned it up, leaving the last ones unbuttoned. _Her new clothes look better on her, though…_ he wondered as he reached out and took hold of a couple of long black bracers he then placed on his arms.

Finally finished getting ready, his focus went to the present as he examined himself in the mirror. He nodded to his reflection, apparently satisfied, and motioned to return to the room. Without knowing exactly why, he opened the door slowly and quietly, smiling at the scene he found on the other side.

For a second, he saw the young woman from the ball again, soft and gentle as she patted Angelo, an almost smile adorning her face. What also surprised him was the brown dog himself. Angelo wasn't particularly the hostile type, but he also wasn't very trusting of strangers. He'd allow others to pat him but he'd always remain attentive and alert. Right at that instant, he couldn't care less, surrendering to her gentle ministrations. There must be something very special with that girl for him to take such a liking to her.

As much as he felt like staying like that, observing the peaceful exchange, they had a job to do.

"His name is Angelo." Rian said as he stepped back into the room, attracting the attention of both his pet and the brunette. "He's my partner."

Both of them stopped and turned to the young man. Angelo looked at Schala one more time before getting up to go to his master who immediately crouched and patted him, much to the animal's delight.

"He usually doesn't like strangers, but it seems he took a liking to you…" He added as he watched her from the corners of his eyes.

Schala stood, her expression once again unreadable and Rian –once again- regretted that his duty, his obligations, made him break the sweet moment where she seemed so relaxed… sighing, he returned his attention to his partner.

"I have some important work to do now. Stay here and be a good boy, Angelo."

The dog whined, looking back at the SeeD as if asking to go too. Receiving a sympathetic look, he felt resigned to the situation, turning around with his head down and hopping back onto the bed where he laid resting his head over his paws.

Smiling at his pet's actions, Rian turned back to brunette. "Shall we go, then?"

She only nodded, sparing one last glance at the dog before exiting the room, Rian following close behind.

They walked -side by side- the first steps down the hall in silence, soon interrupted by Rian.

"SeeD members dance quite well, don't they?" He casually asked, something he had been wondering for a while now.

Schala didn't stop nor did she slow her pace, only answering him once they were very near the others.

"I guess…"

He let go a chuckle just as they descended a few steps, arriving to where the other SeeDs and members of the resistance stood. Schala took the lead, indicating her companions as she introduced them.

"This is Zanya…" The young man took her hand, shaking it with a smile.

"And Sorphan." Rian shook the taller man's hand as well, before introducing himself.

"I'm Rian. It's pleasure to meet you and have you with us… So, now that we're all properly introduced, let's get down to business." He added as he stepped towards a side door in the compartment. "This way, please." And he entered the room, followed by his fellow resistance members.

The SeeDs stepped into the room right after their clients. The room was wider than the one before, several notices on a bulletin board in the opposite wall, the windows were shut and there was a large train model table in the middle of the room.

"Just stand anywhere you want." Zone said as he stood at the head of the table, Rian by his side and Watts slightly back.

"This is a full-scale operation." He continued as the SeeDs took their places around the table. "Our resistance, The Forest Owls, will be forever known in the pages of Timber's independence!"

He raised his arm in the air with starry eyes and then he lowered them to the SeeDs, a wide smile on his face. "Exciting, huh?"

So far, the SeeDs didn't seem very impressed, keeping their faces reasonably indifferent. Clearing his throat, Zone calmed down his eagerness, continuing in a more professional way.

"It all started when we got a hold of top-secret info from Galbadia." He started again.

"I got the info, sir!" Watts said from behind him.

"There's a VIP from Galbadia coming to Timber."

"Super V-I-P!!" Watts provided again, gaining stifled chuckles from Zanya, Sorphan and a smile from Rian.

"The guy's name is Vinzer Deling! Our arch-enemy, and the President of Galbadia." He emphasised, noticing the SeeDs showed no sign of recognition to the name.

"Vinzer Deling is a scoundrel!!" Watts added, flushed as the knowledge of his vile action came rushing into her mind. "He's a dictator, not a president. Not even popular in Galbadia, sir!"

Rian turned, giving the brunette a reassuring smile before turning to the SeeDs, all signs of previous amusement gone as he spoke. "President Deling is taking a private train convoy from the Galbadian capital to Timber later this afternoon."

"Our plan is to..." Zone started but was interrupted when a smiling Sorphan raised his hand in the air.

"Blow it to smithereens with a rocket launcher!?" He asked excitedly._That would be cool!_ He added as an afterthought.

"Ahh... not quite..." Zone exclaimed, giving a step back at the cheerfulness of the tall, if yet innocent looking, young man upon saying such a thing.

"So what will it be? Just tell us what to do and we'll get it done!" Zanya cut in as well and Schala, though not giving any indication, thinking the same.

"Shall we begin?" Rian started, signalling the table in front of them. "First, I'll go over the model."

All eyes focused on the contents of the table. There were several mini-train tracks, a few train sets and the surrounding green hills. Pointing to each item in turn, Rian proceeded in explaining the plan.

"The yellow train on the top right is our base. We're riding in it right now. Right next to it is the dummy car. We made it to look just like the president's car."

"Their train has three cars. First, there's the locomotive followed by the 1st escort. The red car is the president's car. Deling should be inside. The last car is the 2nd escort. Once we get on this one, we begin the

operation."

Rian paused for a bit, raising his eyes from the set onto the others, making sure he still had everyone's attention.

"Our ultimate goal is to seize the president in his car using our base. That means, we'll have to switch our dummy car with their president's car." He clarified as he pointed to both cars in turn.

He then indicated the tracks as he continued. "We'll use the 2 switch points leading up to Timber to carry out this operation."

He took a deep breath as he raised his head again to the listeners. "Ok, the plan will develop in seven steps." He raised a hand, sticking out a finger to indicate step number one.

"First, we'll get on the roof of the 2nd escort by jumping from our dummy car." He said, moving the models to indicate the exact procedure.

"The 2nd escort car is the only one that is equipped with sensors, sir." Watts cut in, temporarily drawing Rian's attention.

"A high tech officer is onboard, yes. But thanks to this little thing, we won't have too much trouble with it." Rian added as he removed a small black box from his pocket. He turned to Watts as she started talking again.

"There are two guards patrolling the 2nd escort, one with a sound sensor and one with a temperature sensor. The device" She pointed to the box Rian was still holding "was very hard to come by… it basically disrupts the readings from the sound sensor giving false readings throughout the car." She explained gaining some surprised risen eyebrows from the SeeDs.

Seemed like they had thought this through.

"The only down side is that the device must be attached to the train's roof in order to affect the entire car and provide cover for you. So at least one of you will have to run over the roof without the protection given by the device, so that you can place it at the end of the carriage."

"For that one, our base will speed up a bit to give us the indication of the guard carrying the sound sensor, flashing a blue light if he comes near and a red light when it's clear."

"The base can't stay in that position for too long without attracting the attention of the convoy, so this must be done as quickly as possible." Rian added.

"Indeed, sir!" Watts said as she spared a glance at the 'Boss'. "As for the temperature sensor, if you keep moving there won't be any problem with those."

"Right, then we can move across the roof to the president's car without worrying too much." Rian informed.

"Deling hates the company of his guards and being surrounded by sensors, and keeps them away from his car." Zone provided, before Rian continued his explanation.

"We'll have to complete the uncoupling before the 1st switch point. If we don't..."

"BOOM!!... Game over, right?" Sorphan cut in, gaining the surprised stares of the resistance members.

"... Yeah." Rian let out, glancing at the young man. _Strange guy…_ "So we'll have to move fast." he added seriously.

"For the uncoupling process…"

"Question...!" Sorphan interrupted, raising his hand like he was in a classroom. After a nod from Rian, he continued. "How can you uncouple the cars from a moving train?"

"We don't, not directly at least." Rians explained.

"Instead, we'll have to tamper with the control system that manages the coupling, which is located bellow the carriage…" Zone cut in, picking up on of the cars and showing them exactly where the system was located. "If we temporarily disable the circuit for the connection, the car will uncouple automatically. To disable it, we have to lower someone down and enter several codes."

"...And we have the codes. Rian has them, ma'am!" Watts nodded from behind them.

"I'll be in charge of relaying the codes to Schala." He said looking at the brunette girl, gaining a nod from her.

_Such a sensitive step of the mission should be performed by the most able one, the leader, I assume._

Smiling at her response, he continued showing the grapple they'd be using. "Schala, you'll slide down on the side of the train using a cable and enter the codes into the system. Now I need you to listen carefully." He said as he pulled out another box with four digits on it.

"Each code is made up of numbers between 1-4 and has 4 digits: 2341 is an example." He pointed to the consol as he continued. "The code consol will be something like this, though the keypad may not have the numbers in the same order, or at all. Just keep in mind that whatever sequence of numbers I give you, number 1 is the top button and the others, 2, 3 and 4 got around clockwise, like this."

He pressed the topmost button "This is 1…" he then indicated the middle right button "… 2…" then the lower button "… 3…" and finally the middle left button "… and 4. You'll have to be quick and precise. You'll have about 5 seconds to enter each code. Otherwise, the code will change and the past entries become invalid."

"Here try it, dial the code 4213, for example." Rain said as he passed Schala the small consol.

She pressed the buttons in order: middle left button, middle right button, upper button and lower button.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed with a smile. "So like we said, we have to enter all the codes to disable the connections."

"After we uncouple the cars, we'll wait for the others to operate the rail switch. Then, we'll have the dummy car and our base move in." And the model ran over the tracks, showing them the exact procedure. "At this point, our train and their train will be linked and be moving together."

"Next we'll have to uncouple our train plus the president's car from the convoy with the fake one. This is the last uncoupling. The process will probably be similar to the first one."

"If all goes well, we should be able to escape with the president's car." He said as the model's run continued, showing their escape. "After that, we'll return to our base and prepare to confront Deling."

He paused for a moment, before raising his hand. "So the plan is…" He started while signalling with his fingers. "First, sneak on board the 2nd escort."

"Second, proceed cautiously across the roof of the 2nd escort.

"Third, proceed across the roof of the president's car."

"Then uncouple the 1st escort car."

"Have the dummy car and our base move in after uncoupling."

"Then uncouple the 2nd escort car."

"And escape with the president's car and our base."

After enumerating all the procedures, he started again. "We have exactly 5 minutes to complete the 7 procedures. If we fail, our train will collide with theirs at the switch point and it'll be all over. Don't forget that." He added seriously.

"5 minutes...? You sure that's enough?" Zanya asked, frowning slightly.

Zone stepped up. "According to the simulation that we ran, it should only take 3 minutes to complete the operation." He informed, a small smirk on his features as he added. "Piece of cake for SeeDs, right?"

"Of course! Too easy!" Sorphan whooped, cheerfully.

Schala remained silent, watching the model and visualizing all the steps of the plan. It didn't seem too complicated, though she wouldn't exactly use Sorphan's words. It was doable.

"Umm...that's all, I think… are there any questions?" He turned to the SeeDs, suppressing a smile at the leader's serious face, the blond girl's relaxed pose and the brunet boy's thoughtful expression.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to just derail the president's car? Y'know, hit him with a big log or something…" Sorphan suddenly said, watching the model. "Then we watch it crash and burn!"

The room fell dead silent, all eyes fell on the smiling tall young man as he played around with the model, apparently unaware he had said it outloud.

"What's the point of killin' him before abducting him?" Zanya added, as if she was actually taking what the brunet had said seriously.

"Huh!?" Sorphan started.

"Okay. That's all then." Rian quickly said, disrupting the path the conversation was taking and refocusing everyone's attention. "Let's decide on the party!"

The SeeDs nodded, after all the three of them would be on the team… that's what they were hired for, but the other two members stepped back almost instantly.

"Gathering information is my speciality, sir!" Watts said immediately, heading for the door. "We're moving again… I'll go take a look, sirs, ma'ams!" She said and bolted outta the room.

Zone griped his stomach, falling back on the wall and then sliding down on the floor. "OuuuucHHHHH...My stomach!"

Rian sighed. The Owls were a small group and, before he came onboard, they were completely inactive and even now they'd prefer to keep out of the most dangerous actions. That was the main reason behind the hire of SeeDs to aid in their activities. His eyes travelled around the room and fell on the SeeDs.

Sorphan and Zanya seemed to be checking the fliers hanged on the board on the other end of the room, as Schala kept examining the model. He chuckled, she seemed very dedicated to her work, probably going around the plan once more in her head.

He stepped closer to her and just as he was about to say something, the door behind them opened suddenly.

Watts was under the doorframe, her expression as serious as the significance of her next words. "Sirs, ma'ams! We're here!"

Rian turned, completely forgetting his recent intentions as he stepped towards the door.

"It's time. Let's get this show on the road!"

"The railroad!" Sorphan added.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Hiya there!! Another (late) update!! (sorry) I hope you like it!!_

_Yes! Finally the identity of Rinoa-boy is revealed!! Thank my Beta for the name XD. As for his clothes, let me clarify… As you know, I completely disregarded Quistis's choice of colors by using Allen from Escaflowne's model for Quentin and, well… I didn't want my male versions to be abusive in the use of the blue color so, I kinda switched the colors between Rian and Quentin's original trends (with the support of my Beta, of course XD, LOVE YA, girl!!), and there we have…_

_If there are any complaints… TOUGH! It's my story I do what I Hyne – damn please… ;P_

_Many hugs and kisses to all of you reading this! May your sanity never be put in question XD!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	15. Chapter 15: Trainjacking

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… couldn't find it on e-bay…_

**Chapter 15: Trainjacking**

**  
**

The yellow engine sped through the rails causing the strong winds to whip the four teenagers' hairs and clothes around with extreme violence. They kept their ground, crouching- for better balance- over the dummy car's roof.

"Over there!" The SeeDs could barely hear Rian's yell over the wind, as he pointed forward.

They could see another train ahead, in a second rail line.

"There's the president's convoy! We'll catch up soon." He added. "Let's get ready to jump!"

The Owls' base sped up and in seconds they had the other train in range.

"Schala!" Rian nodded at the girl as she crawled to the front of the car.

The brunette SeeD nodded back, the small sound-disruptor device securely kept in her jacket pocket. They were still a bit far back, but the sooner she got on the other train, the more time they'd have to accomplish the remaining steps of the mission.

She felt Rian tap her on the shoulder and half turned to face him.

"From now on we have exactly… 5 minutes to complete the operation. Let's try and use every second." He informed, smiling at her as she nodded again and turned back forward.

She was still about five meters out but she got ready to jump. Thanks to her GF enhanced strength, Schala jumped the distance between cars easily, landing heavily but securely on the second escort's roof. The others followed her almost immediately as the yellow train sped up to assume the position for the sensors' check.

Just as Rian's feet left the dummy car, it rushed forward, running almost parallel to the convoy. Schala glanced sideways at it, detecting the red light indicating the soldier holding the sound sensor was outta range, so she hurried over the roof, at much of a safe speed as she could with the high speed train movement.

The path between the two railroads was suddenly covered in deep vegetation that, though it covered the yellow train from view from the occupants of the train, still permitted Schala to see the sudden change of the red light to blue. She immediately stopped, kneeling down and staying as silently as possible, her eyes fixed on the light, expecting it to change back to red.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Hey Rick! How are they doing?" Zone asked as he joined the three resistance members that were signalling the attack group.

"Ok so far." The man in simple dark grey overall answered while lowering his binoculars. "The dark leather chick is just halfway past the second escort roof, just waiting for the soldier to move."

"Alright, then…" He started but stopped when he heard the one holding the red lantern.

"Oh no… tell me that ain't what it looks like!" He said, his face twisted in concern.

"What, Jack?" Zone asked, whipping the binoculars out of the other man's grip and looking through them towards the other car, just bellow the SeeD's position.

"… Oh shi…"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Hey Marvin, can you come here for a sec? I think this thing is acting up again!" The soldier in blue uniform called out to the one in the red uniform, inside the second escort car while shaking the metallic apparatus he was holding.

"Again? It was calibrated just the other day." 'Marvin' said as he, holding his own device, turned in the other soldier's direction. "Are you sure you're using that thing right, Bert?"

The other man frowned visibly. "It's Bret, and yes I'm using it right. But the readings don't make sense."

"Let me take a look then, Bert." 'Marvin added, slowly approaching his location.

"… It's Bret!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala had been holding her position for several seconds now and just felt like they were wasting precious time. What was taking them so long?

_Get on with it!_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Oh man! What do we do? If the other one gets any closer it will detect her!" Jack said as frantically waved the- turned off- red lantern around. "We gotta warn her somehow!"

"Keep cool, man!" Zone spat at him suddenly. "There's nothing we can do but wait!"

His answer didn't satisfy him, not to mention his companions.

Wait for a miracle…

OOOOOOOOOO

"Hold on!" Bret yelled out making Marvin stop walking. "I think I'm getting something…" he said as he slowly stepped out of his spot, heading in the opposite direction of the other man and towards the end of the car. "Hmm…"

OOOOOOOOOO

"NOW!" Zone shouted.

The man holding the blue light immediately turned it off as Jack lifted the red one so that its light passed through the window.

OOOOOOOOOO

_About time!_ Schala thought as she continued her way across the second escort. She reached the end of the car, attaching the device and activating it. The small apparatus spun into activity, producing a low humming sound that Schala assumed meant it was working. She raised her eyes, signalling the others to join her and the SeeDs, along with the 'Boss', hurried over the second escort's roof.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Whew!" The four men let out as they turned their backs to the side of the hall, leaning against it and letting their forms slide down to a sitting position.

"That was WAY too close…" Zone said as he sighed in relief.

The other resistance members just nodded their heads repeatedly in agreement.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Great job!" Rian yelled at them as he reached the end of the second escort's roof. Not expecting a reply, he turned and knelt down near the disruptor device, pulling it out of its spot. "Alright, your work here is done." He said lowly as he pocketed the apparatus.

If the device were to be found the army mind discover who was behind the attack, and that would be troublesome… for now, at least.

"Ok!" He cried out to the SeeDs as he jumped to the other carriage. "This is the president's car. It doesn't have sensors so we can move freely." He added as he moved to the front of the group. "After we get across, we'll proceed with the first uncoupling. We need to hurry, we'll be reaching the first rail switch soon."

The SeeDs nodded as they rushed over the president's car.

OOOOOOOOOO

A soldier dressed in blue uniform stood hesitantly in front of the room's door. He looked through the small square piece of glass, observing the room momentarily. The cabin was fashionable in itself, rich crimson carpet, equally crimson padded walls, the windows were covered by the same colour curtains and there were a pair of comfortable-looking sofas separated with a beautifully crafted mahogany table. A figure in a rich, fancy suit sat in one of the couches, his back turned towards the door.

The soldier sighed. He really didn't want to do it, but it was not like he had much of a choice… He opened the door and marched halfway across the room, stopping just a few steps away from the sitting man.

"Sir, everything is in order sir!" He said respectfully as he saluted.

The man sighed heavily, making the soldier cringe.

"You again… That's 27 times now." The man said without even raising his eyes from the papers he was reading. "How many more times do you plan to disturb me with that meaningless report?"

The soldier staggered visibly, in a way taken back by the comment, in another, apparently resigned.

"Sir, I'm sorry sir… But it is my duty, sir!" He replied, resuming his salute stance.

The president sighed again. "It's hard to believe that anyone would put up with this nonsense." He said, placing the papers down and raising his eyes, still not looking at the soldier.

It took the soldier every last bit of nerve not to flinch. He knew it was a bad idea to disturb the man again, but he honestly never had a choice.

"I guess it's none of my business." His cold, if yet uninterested tone reached the soldier's ears once more. "Dismissed."

"……! Sir, yes sir!" He saluted, turning on his heels and moving to leave the room. Once just out of earshot, he sighed in dismay. _There goes next month's paycheck… How am I gonna propose to her now? I'm gonna have to put it off again…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Alright! That is the First escort." Rian yelled out as they reached the front of the president's car, pointing to the carriage ahead if it. "We've to uncouple this first." He continued as he reached back to a large gym bag-like he carried, pulling out a support mechanism with a pulley which he attached to the sides of the car.

The others observed as he was busy setting the contraption on, as he kept talking to them, his eyes never leaving what he was doing.

"Like Watts said, there should be two guards on this car." There was a soft clicking sound as he seemed to be finished with his assembling. Picking up on two cords on opposite sides of the device, one on each side of the car, he handed one to Zanya and the other to Sorphan. "Here, you two keep an eye on the guards. The car is wide, but if each of you lean off the roof, holding onto to these, one or the other should be able to see them coming and give us a head's up." He clarified, gaining approving nods from the SeeDs as they picked up the cables and stood ready to lean away from the train.

"Just don't let go…" Rian couldn't resist saying before he turned his attention to the leader. "Schala, here's your cable. This thing is gonna go on your belt and it'll lower you down to the level of the wheels so you gotta be careful. Just nudge it a bit when you wanna come back up." He finished, slightly tapping on a lever attached to the pulley. "You'll have to enter 3 codes to disable the circuit for this uncoupling. We need to hurry, we have less than a minute before the first rail switch!"

Schala took everything in, nodding at the end of his explanation then sparing a glance at each of the other SeeDs that nodded back. They were ready! She linked the cable to her waist belt and got ready to lower. Zanya and Sorphan gripped their own cables tightly as they leaned off the roof enough to allow each view of about half of the first escort's interior. After both gave their clear, Schala signalled Rian to let her down. He nodded his "Good luck" and added just before she descended.

"You'll have a better view over a possible blind spot. Be sure to be on the look out." She nodded as he pulled the lever. "First code is '2413'!" He yelled out.

Schala slid down expertly, her feet securely- well, as securely as she could given the circumstances- supported on the side of the train as she leaned lower to reach the consol. It looked almost identical to the one she'd practiced on, so she quickly pressed the buttons in the correct order: middle right button, middle left button, upper button and lower button.

The device gave an approving sound as it waited for the next input.

Schala gave a small pull on the cable and a second later she was being pulled up, running up the side of the train.

"Well done! Second code: '4312'." Rian said, but just as he was letting her descend again, Zanya yelled out.

"Yo, the guard!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Huh!?" A soldier in blue uniform let out suddenly, looking out the first escort window.

The other soldier in the car, a higher rank sporting a red uniform, noticed his behaviour and turned to him. "What is it?"

The man in blue uniform turned to his senior, shaking his head. "Nothing, just thinking…" He covered. He couldn't say that he thought he'd seen a shadow on the side of the president's car, near the roof. Knowing the other man, he'd most probably make him climb atop the car to check it out. He so did not need that.

The soldier in red frowned, though with his helmet on it was not visible. "Well, don't!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Sheesh… that was close. I'll have to remember that next time." Zanya said with a shy smile that disappeared immediately once she realised Schala's glare. Both teens were still leaning off the train in plain sight as the guard got closer. Was it not for Schala yanking the girl back into the roof they could have been spotted.

"Sorry…" She added with her head low.

They leaned slightly off again, checking if the soldier was gone before Schala went bellow again and input the remaining two codes without anymore hiccups.

"Done." She relayed as the last code was inserted and the uncoupling process began.

"Just in time." All SeeDs, already on the roof, turned to the Boss of the Owls. "We're at the first rail switch."

The car shook slightly as it separated from the remaining carriages, and the distance between them grew. When the engine and first escort passed, the switch turned, connecting the parallel rail line to their own. They heard, and saw the yellow train pushing the dummy president's car onto their track, its wheels screeching as the brakes activated allowing it to catch the decelerating president's car and second escort, before speeding again to attach onto the first escort.

By the end of the shaky operation, the Owls base, along with the dummy car was within the convoy.

"I sure hope nobody felt that…"

OOOOOOOOOO

_What was that? I thought I felt the train shake just now… probably my impression, after all… I gotta go in there again. _

The soldier in blue uniform sighed again from behind the door leading inside the president's chamber.

_What should I do…? I know he's not gonna like it. But it's my job…_

He took a deep breath, opening the door and stepping inside the luxurious room.

"S-Sir..." He hesitated for a second, but either way the damage was done. "… Everything is in order, sir!" And he closed his eyes, waiting for it.

_Huh…?_His eyes darted open and focused on the man sitting down still with his back to him. _He's not angry… Phew._ He resisted a relieved sigh. _That's strange, though…_

His relief was short lived as the door behind him opened suddenly, an officer in red uniform rushing inside.

"Sir, we experienced a minor disturbance, just making sure everything is in order, sir!" He said, saluting, but there was no response from the president. "Sir!?" He added as he approached him slowly.

"I'm in a bad mood right now! If there's nothing in particular, I order to leave immediately!" The president's voice sounded from the dummy, the slight mechanical timber going unnoticed by the galbadian soldiers as both men stood straighter when his annoyed and commanding words registered.

"S-S-Sir, aye aye… YESSIR!" The man in red blurted out, stepping back and turning around, ready to head straight out of the room and almost bumping into the lower rank soldier. "YOU!" The man in blue uniform visually flinched. "Don't just stand there! Get back to your station!"

"S-Sir, yessir!" Was all he could let out in the midst of his sudden surprise. _There goes another paycheck. That's two in one day…_

The Officer scoffed, walking past the soldier and towards the exit, though something was nagging him in the back of his head. _Hmm… strange, the paintjob seems a bit off… maybe not._

The Officer left, leaving the soldier and the president alone in the chamber again. Without another word- he'd rather not loose a third paycheck- the man turned and left the room as well. On the other side of the door, he leaned his back against it, cursing his luck. _What am I gonna do? No ring, and now no more candlelight dinner… I'm never gonna be able to get married…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Alright, we're almost done!" Rian yelled out from the rear of the president's car once their base had finished the 'infiltration'. "Zanya, Sorphan! You two go up ahead to help in the uncoupling of our train from theirs. The process is simpler, but one of you will have to climb down from the front of our base." He informed, searching in his bag for something. He pulled out a cable, handing it to them. "Be careful!"

They nodded, sparing a glance at Schala that nodded back. They looked at each other before hurrying over the cars towards the front of the yellow train as Rian turned back at the brunette SeeD.

"Ok, let's get this over with." He had already assembled the pulley support, handing a cable to her. "There are also guards in this one, but you'll be on your own, so you're gonna have to keep an eye on them." He continued, looking at her face to see if she understood it all.

She looked back, giving him a slight nod as she strapped herself in.

"Alright. It takes 5 codes to disable the circuit for this connection." He continued, getting into position to activate pull the lever. "We have less than two minutes before the next rail switch… Are you ready?"

Schala leaned a bit off the train, focusing on the adjacent car and, seeing no movement from inside, she gave the signal and was lowered to ground level, where she proceeded, once again, to insert the codes in the small consol.

OOOOOOOOOO

"OK, I'm going down!" Zanya said as they reached the front of the yellow engine.

The job consisted in climbing down the front of the Owls' base and work the uncoupling mechanism manually, only requiring pulling two levers. The question was who going down there as the other was holding the cable.

"No way! Why do you get to have all the fun?" Sorphan retorted crossing his arms over his chest and staring at the blond girl.

"Well…" Zanya started, thinking on how to get her way. "I'm lighter, it'll be easier for you to pull me up!" She said with a smile, though it wasn't exactly truth. The boy, though tall, was skinny and she was really strong. She could lift him up as easily as a feather.

Sorphan gave her a doubtful stare. "Who are you trying to kid?" He said seriously looking at her. With all that muscle, he couldn't be exactly sure she was much lighter than him, not to mention she had monster strength, she could easily handle his weight.

Zanya stared back, not willing to give up so easily. "So… how do we resolve this little dilemma?" She started, copying the instructor's words whenever there was a disagreement.

They thought about it and suddenly came up with the same idea. They steadied themselves, getting into position in front of the other, left arm stretched forward and the right slightly back.

They're eyes locked, sparkles flying between them as they launched their right fists forward at the same time, slamming them into their left hands as they yelled:

"Rocks, Paper, Scissors!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Ok, last one!" Rian let out once Schala reached the roof after the fourth input.

Even without the two lookouts, the job had been fairly uncomplicated, Schala managing to avoid the soldiers' line of sight thus far. She took a deep breath, readying herself for one more descent as she leaned a bit off the roof to see the inside of the second escort. The way seemed clear enough, she could see a soldier on the back and the other was nowhere in sight.

She waited a while. If he was near her end of the carriage he should come into view in a few seconds.

_Nothing… must be on the other end_. She thought as she turned back to Rian, nodding her ready.

"We're almost done." He started, smiling. "The last code is '1234'!" He yelled out as she went down.

Schala's eyes darted between her support on the side of the train and the adjacent car. During her fast descent, she picked up movement from the guard on the back, but it made her uncomfortable that she still couldn't see the other guard. As she almost lost her footing, she refocused back to the position she was in, her mind abandoning her worries for the moment.

She lowered more and saw the consol where she knew it'd be, pressing the buttons in clockwise order and receiving the approving tone as her job was finished. Nodding to herself, she got ready to return to the roof. The cable pulled her up as her gaze shifted temporarily to the second escort's interior. Her eyes widened considerably as she noticed one of the soldiers looking straight at her.

OOOOOOOOOO

_Wow…_

The soldier in blue uniform stared forward where he swore he saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She seemed to be flying alongside the president's car ahead of him and, well it seemed a little surreal even for him. In the time it took him to blink out of his momentary trance, she was gone. Was it an illusion? A by product of his imagination, or was it because he hadn't had a woman since he joined the army, over two years ago and was needy?

_Was she real…?_

_Or was she an angel… in black leather?_

OOOOOOOOOO

Schala returned to the roof with a grave expression. She was sure it wasn't more than a side glance, a shadow through the corner of his eye but she was positive she was spotted. Rian didn't seem to notice her concern, busy dismantling the pulley contraption and saying something on how it went better than he expected, but she wasn't paying much attention to him.

Schala was a bit surprised no type of alarm had been activated, thinking back and considering that maybe the guard didn't really see her, or disregarded it for the apparent impossibility that someone could board the convoy. She remained silent for a while, wrapped around her own thoughts, only raising her eyes when Rian exclaimed.

"We're at the second rail switch! Hang on!" He swung his bag over his shoulder, kneeling down for better balance as Schala did the same.

Up on front, Zanya and Sorphan were in similar positions, steady on the roof of the yellow train as its extendable arm released the dummy president's car successfully and decreased its speed considerably. Approaching the rail switch's location, the base sped up, dragging the second escort momentarily before the uncoupling kicked in and the carriages parted.

The switch changed just as the base reached it, taking the path out of the previous line, switching back immediately as the second escort car rushed by it barely being able to reattach to the convoy.

Both ensembles took their separate ways, the "president's" convoy on a direct line to Timber, the Owls' on a separate line, one that would eventually lead to a secluded dead end where they could continue with their plans…

OOOOOOOOOO

"That was perfect, sirs, ma'ams! Totally amazing, sirs, ma'ams!! You're the best, sirs, ma'ams!!" Watts was pretty excited, happy that the mission was a success and had not stopped praising them, specially the Boss, since they returned inside the train.

Zone also seemed very enthusiastic, nodding repeatedly at the SeeDs' skill and actions. Sorphan and Zanya were gladly receiving their thanks and praise while Schala stood leaning against the wall, silent and in deep thought. Something was off about the entire operation…

"Finally… We've waited so long for this encounter with Vinzer." Zone's words drew the attention of everyone in the cabin, dragging them from their thoughts and celebrations. His eyes were shining with pride…

"Right. Now is time to confront him!" Rian cut in, looking around the occupants of the cramped division. "Well then…"

He let his words sink in and the reaction among the members of the Owls was almost instantaneous.

"OwOwOuccchhh!!..." Zone wailed suddenly, gripping his stomach and rushing into the meeting room where they had planed the mission earlier.

"Leave the intelligence to me, sir!" Watts told Rian, bowing repeatedly and taking off up the corridor and away from them.

The SeeDs watched, not as surprised as they could have been at the faction members' antics. For a self-proclaimed resistance group they seemed to try to avoid confrontations like Shiva tried to avoid the Fire Cavern… They all turned to Rian that was shaking his head like he was thinking the same thing.

"Looks like it's just the four of us again." He said, raising his eyes to them as they focused on Schala. "It's time for the 'serious negotiations'…" He added with a tricky smile on his features before turning to the door that connected with the other car.

Schala frowned. Something about what and how he said it gave her a bad feeling, or at least worsened the one she already had since the end of the operation. After all, the mission had felt a bit too easy considering the 'Super V-I-P' they had just kidnapped, pretty poor security for the president of Galbadia…

Her thoughts were cut off as Rian told them to come in after him as he entered the president's carriage. Her companions made to follow him, turning to her as she spoke lowly.

"Better be alert… make sure you're ready for any eventuality!" She told them as she checked her own junctions and followed the Boss.

Rian didn't seem to have noticed their slight delay or late entrance as he was almost at the president's side.

"Greetings, President Deling. So glad you could join us on this lovely evening. We'd like to talk to you regarding Timber's current state, but you don't need to worry… we won't resort to violence as long as you do nothing to force us to." Rian said calmly, his tone quite casual, almost like he was talking about the weather.

"And if I do… something… What would you do…? Huh, young man?" The president said, in an equal calm and casual tone.

He seemed rather unfazed by his current situation. His reaction or better yet, his lack of reaction made Schala's bad feeling gradually worsen. _Something's wrong… Something's very wrong!!_

Rian was taken back by his reaction, not that he expected the man to cower in fear and beg for mercy- though his mind had entertained him with that image on more than one occasion- but he was acting like nothing was happening… He'd hate to play poker with the man…

"Boo-hoo… Too bad…" The president teased, standing up but not turning as Rian stepped back, confused.

"What…?!" He let out, his mind racing to understand what was going on. It wasn't developing as he had thought it would and he was so out of it he didn't even notice as Schala stepped up to his side.

He almost jumped as her left hand fell on his shoulder and turned to her, seeing her take her right hand to her weapon. Schala's mind had been flashing warning signs the moment the president first spoke. His tone and demeanour didn't feel quite right.

"I'm not the president. I'm what they call… a body double." He continued as he turned. Rian and the two SeeDs gaped in shock as his face became visible. His skin tone was greyish and definitely not human, his face bore strange markings, almost as if the skin was falling apart.

"All these rumours about the many resistance groups in Timber…" The fake president gave a step forward, slowly as he continued his tease, a sick twisted smile on his face as he set his eyes on Rian. "You pass along a little false information and they fall for in…" He let out a dry laugh "How pathetic… Seems like there are only amateurs around here." And he cracked up leaning back in an odd angle, his loud laugh chilling them to the bone.

"Amateurs!?" Rian let out, a tinge of anger in his voice as he stepped up, leaving Schala behind him.

"AAaahhhhh…" His cry made Rian step back again as the fake president stepped forward. "My butt hurts from all this sitting… Young… MAN…" His voice cracked slightly at the end, as he gave another step.

Rian also gave another step as Schala stepped up, standing in front of him, slightly to the side. Her eyes narrowed as they fixed on the fake president's every move, her grip on her still sheathed gunblade tightening.

"Ahh... So what did you have in stORE for me had I trIED SOMEthing...?" He sneered menacingly, showing his rotten teeth. "Why doN'T you teLL mE..."

Everyone seemed engrossed by the sight of the fake president. He suddenly stopped just a few meters away from them and they could see his skin cracking open, like a breaking mask…

"QuiTE aMUsing thouGH... For beING such amAtEurs...!! HoW daRe YOU InSUlt tHe presIDent!!" He roared angrily and lunged with inhumane speed at the representative of the Owls.

Rian cringed as his state of surprise didn't allow him to react, closing his eyes and waiting for the blow. But, to his surprise, it never came. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a dark figure standing ahead of him. Stepping to the side, he saw the scene and immediately realised what must have happened.

Schala stood there, between him and his attacker, gunblade drawn and stabbed almost all the way to the hilt in the fake president's chest, a crude, black slimy substance oozing through the blade and covering her gloved hands.

The SeeD squad leader must have reacted quickly, cutting the attacker's path, impaling him with her weapon in the process.

Off all of it, Rian registered one thing… _She just saved my life…_

"You… fEll… For… iT…" The fake president managed to let out between gasps, the same odd substance dripping from his mouth and staining the red carpeted floor. "… aMusINg… tHIs iS… AmuSinG…!" He finished with his last breath, his body staggering and collapsing on the spot.

Schala dislodged Revolver from the corpse, a foul stench filling hers and the others' nostrils as the lifeless body fell on the floor.

"What the hell was that thing?" Zanya asked, wrinkling her nose to the awful smell as the two SeeDs approached the other two teens. She stepped next to the brunette girl, who was busy trying to shake the smelly and sticky black substance from her blade, observing the disfigured corpse of the- obviously- non-human fake president.

"You two ok?" Sorphan asked seeing that Rian still seemed a bit shaken up.

"… Yeah…" The Boss let out, eyes still focused on the creature that would have taken his life were it not for the SeeD's swift reflexes. His gaze travelled to Schala as she nodded them her 'ok' and turned back at them.

"So… if this guy was a fake, where's the real one?" Sorphan asked as the SeeDs gathered in front of Rian, who remained silent as in deep in thought.

"Timber, probably. The real one must have travelled by another route…" Zanya added as Schala considered it.

As Zanya and Sorphan shot out ideas on several aspects of the situation, the lifeless body behind them started to, silently convulse, black crude still gushing out of not only his injury and mouth, but from his nose, ears and eyes. Its skin started to boil, blistering all over. Many of the pustules burst out, releasing purple pus that melted the skin and its fancy suit.

The vile stench intensified as the deformed mass of flesh- that could no longer be considered human- began to rise, slowly arching his back in an impossible angle and rising over the teens' height.

It looked like a by-product of some mad scientist's failed experiment. Though in an apparent humanoid shape, his left limbs were disproportionably larger and more deformed than the rest of its skinless body, lifeless purple and grey flesh beast with large blistering pustules threatening to burst. Also his face seemed half melted into his left shoulder as it readied itself to strike.

Their only warning was a stillness in the air, the foul smell intensifying and starting to make them dizzy as a large greenish deformed arm came swinging at the nearest target.

Schala let out a cry as the strong blow threw her across the room, her body slamming hard against the compartment's wall.

"SCHALA!!" They yelled out between cries of surprise and fear as the ugly looking Gerogero advanced towards them.

"Brraaaaawwghhhhh!!" The foul creature shrieked as it swung his arm again, sharp- and probably, poisonous- claws cutting the air just millimetres away from the retreating teens.

Recovered from their initial shock, the two SeeDs charged at the disfigured monster. Zanya's fists along with Sorphan's nuchakus pounded on the creature, bits of decaying matter being ripped off with every blow.

Meanwhile, Rian- finally awake from his trance- rushed over to Schala to make sure she was alright. She stumbled as she rose using the wall as support, her eyes trailed on the battle and her companions efforts to bring the vile creature down. Despite their combined and strong attacks, the beast seemed unfazed by all the heavy damage it was taking.

She stood completely off the wall shoving the raven haired man's helping hand away as she readied a healing spell for herself. She missed Rian's disappointed look as her eyes saw something peculiar on the dreadful creature's expression.

Sure, an enemy healing in battle was always frustrating, but it wasn't quite that… _What was that…?_

_Fear…?!_

_Why would a healing spell cause fear? … unless…!!_

Gerogero's attention returned to its closer opponents that had managed to inflict their share of damage, though he had barely felt it, its undead body processing the injuries in a different way than normal.

Frustration started to settle in the teenagers as their brutal strikes had no effect on the monster, their actions divided between attacking, dodging and parrying its own blows. The creature just stood there, grinning at them.

Zanya's fist connected hard with one of its largest blister on its chest and Gerogero smirked as it burst launching a green, slimy substance all over them. The two teens jumped back, more out of grossness than anything else, and successfully avoided contact with the poisonous miasma. Still, the vapours emanating from it made them woozy enough that they were barely able to avoid a new swing from the beast's deformed arm.

Both turned as Schala approached them, standing beside them and readying a spell.

"Cure!" She yelled out to the surprise of her companions, none of them injured enough to warrant healing.

Their amazement grew when they noticed the target of her spell was none other than their opponent. Their cries of consternation died in their throats along with any doubts of the girl's sanity, as they saw the creature's reaction as the spell hit it.

It's howl of pain filled the room as Gerogero launched its hands to its head, its deformed body burning and smoking where the spell hit.

"Undead." Schala said simply, all the others' questions vanishing with smiles as they all got ready to send a wave of healing magic to the dreadful beast.

OOOOOOOOOO

Rian stood in the back, as it was now obvious to him that the SeeDs didn't require nor did they seem to want his help. When Schala shoved his helping hand away it scratched at his pride, and guilt. After all, everything that was happening was his fault. It was his plan, his idea to hire SeeDs and now they were fighting his battle and he felt helpless.

Was he just supposed to stand there, watching them fight without trying to help?

_The hell I will!_ He thought as he straightened up. Schala had just cast her healing spell on the monster, surprising him with its reaction. He had to do something. His magic wouldn't help much but he just couldn't stand there and do nothing. Realisation suddenly hit as he remembered something, his hand going down to his pocket and retrieving a small, red whistle.

He blew on the small object in three equal intervals, but no sound came. He pocketed the item, his eyes refocusing on the battle as the creature seemed to be up to something.

_C'mon, boy!_

OOOOOOOOOO

Angelo's ears trembled as an inaudible sound reached them. His head immediately shot up and he was standing and off the bed in a second. He was almost at the door when he suddenly stopped and turned back into the room. His eyes travelled up the wall, to the strange bended red object hanging on the wall.

The brown dog turned back to the room and, jumping on the bed and bouncing off the wall, he bit down on the red item, holding it in his mouth and carrying it out of the room, across the hall and in the direction of the stolen carriage.

OOOOOOOOOO

Sensing the SeeDs' intentions, the undead monster had to act quickly. Taking in a breath he didn't need, he exhaled releasing a dire looking purple gas cloud that surrounded the teenagers. The SeeDs held their breaths in hope to escape the poisonous air but it was in vain.

The acid cloud dissipated quickly leaving each teen slightly stunned and with a random status effect.

Schala saw as her companions attempted to recover from the attack.

Zanya stumbled over herself, unable to see anything in her way she punched and kicked the air around her in the vain hope to land a lucky blow on the deformed monster's body. She appeared to be blind, her eyes blank as one of her kicks barely missed Schala's form.

Through the corner of her eyes she saw an extremely disoriented Sorphan. He acted confused and it looked like he was attacking the wall.

Schala yelled out at them only to notice no voice came. She sudden realised that her mind was blank and she could not access her magic storages. She cursed under her breath, but of course no sound came, the silence spell serving its purpose.

She reached over to her items pouch knowing that it held an Echo screen, but as her hand reached the place her pouch was supposed to be, she found nothing. Her eyes searched her surroundings, finding it fallen on the ground near the place where she stood before being knocked out by the vile creature. She had no way of reaching it like that, and the communication with her fellow SeeDs would be complicated in the state they were in.

Zanya kept punching aimlessly, unable to notice the undead creature approaching her position, its enlarged arm swinging back and getting ready to hit her full force.

Schala tried to scream to her in warning, but it was useless, her voice didn't come out and she would never reach the other woman in time.

She could only watch as the deformed arm swung in the blonde's direction. Millimetres away from its target, something brown rushed in outta nowhere and seemed to attach to its arm. Gerogero howled in pain and annoyance as it shook its arm vigorously in the attempt of throwing its offender off.

Schala saw as the sudden noise and movement gave indication to Zanya that she was near danger and subsequently rolled out of the confusion. Seeing her companion safer, she focused her attention back on the fierce battle ahead. Still attached to the enlarged arm was a large brown dog biting it down.

_Angelo?!_ She thought since she was already resigned to her imposed silence. She turned to see Rian smile as he brought two fingers to his lips and whistled in a specific manner. The dog released the arm and jumped back, doing something of a run-up, he charged again, slamming in the creature and pushing it back.

"Told ya he was my partner." He added as he kneeled down to pat his pet, giving him a treat.

She looked at him closer, noticing the large object- the same that was in his room earlier- on his back and, not for the first time, wondering what it was. Her mind was suddenly aware and she could feel her Guardians' presence once more. This new development made her raise her head and notice the other two teens approaching their position.

"Everyone ok?" Sorphan asked once he was close enough. Schala could see a light bruise on his forehead and was left wondering if the young man had hit himself with his weapon or walked into a wall. Either way it was fortunate since it seemed to have snapped him out of his confusion and allowed him to draw and cast Esuna on both the girls.

They nodded, Zanya still a bit out of it, blinking several times to recover. They heard a growl and turned to see the undead beast rise and glare at them. Zanya, now completely recovered, looked at Schala for confirmation. After the brunette's nod, she rushed back to beat the crap outta the monster.

"Angelo, GO!" Rian yelled out as the brown dog caught up to the blonde martial artist and both engaged the creature.

"Each will attack in turn, to keep it away for the rest to hit it with healing magic." Schala instructed as she stepped in the direction of their attacker.

"Right!" The two males responded, following her back into battle.

Zanya and Angelo were striking at the creature, successful in evading its attacks thus far. Hearing the footsteps of the others and without exchanging any type of signal between them, they both moved away from the monster just as a couple of yells were heard from behind.

"Blizzard!"

"Cure!"

The ice spell hit the monster in the legs, effectively seizing it to the floor and making it unable to avoid the curative spells that followed.

Gerogero once again screech in pain, the tissue burned and scarred where the spell hit as he tried to release itself from the restraining ice.

Sorphan stepped forward, renewing the blizzard trapping the beast as he moved closer. Bursting one of its own blisters, the undead creature attempted to hit the brunet teenager with a new surge of poisonous slime. Caught by surprise, Sorphan ducked and rolled to avoid it. As he rose back to his feet, he was barely in time to see a massive clawed hand coming his way at great speed.

Long, green claws stood millimetres away from the boy's head as he pulled up his nunchaku just in time to parry the blow, a slimy purple fluid dripping to the carpeted floor as its hand was halted by the weapon's connecting chain.

New Cures were cast. The creature's painful and erratic motions allowed Sorphan to get out of the way, casting one more blizzard to reinforce its containment.

Schala moved in next with a new wave of healing magic being cast on the creature that raised its arm to swing at her. She quickly brought her gunblade up, pressing the trigger just as it connected with the deformed member, almost blowing it off completely.

A new howl of pain echoed throughout the cabin as the barely attached limb hanged by a thin layer of decaying muscle.

Rian started to pull his weapon as he examined the dimensions of the room. Cursing under his breath, he realised that the room was too constricting to allow him to use his Giant Boomerang to its full capacity, resolving on casting a new blizzard spell and instructing Angelo to strike again, after a treat, of course.

The last wave of Cures, along with the physical attacks it had endured, had taken its toll on Gerogero's undead body, the unholy connections that kept it up and running being severed with every hit of the holy, curative magic. Though it didn't feel pain- not in the same way as living flesh, at least-, it could still feel its body falling apart.

The teens observed as the vile creature had ceased its movements. Seeing it as a sign that it was close to finished, Zanya rushed in for the final blow, as the other readied for any eventuality.

Gerogero noticed the blond girl approaching and deciding on doing one last thing before it was over, he concealed its damaged arm waiting for its unsuspecting target.

As Zanya was just a step away, the unholy beast swung the remaining of its arm, but the martial artist would not go down that easily. As the arm came down, she moved in one fluid motion. She jumped and turned in mid air, kicking the deteriorated member and ripping the last strain of muscle connecting it, the arm falling motionless on the floor.

But she wasn't done yet. While still in the air, she kept twirling on herself, gaining momentum, and kicked the monster on the chest with both feet in an almost horizontal position.

The blow carried such strength the lifeless body was sent flying across the room, slamming hard on the wall at its end. The second the body connected, it shattered like glass in millions of rotten pieces scattering on the red carpeted cabin floor.

When the teenagers approached, they saw as the decaying matter melted, leaving no trace apart from a foul stench. The detached arm also evaporated as all evidence of the monster's existence vanished in the air.

They allowed themselves to breathe in relief, gathering themselves and leaving the rotten scented carriage and back to the Owls' base.

OOOOOOOOOO

The door on the end of the yellow engine opened revealing a woman in dark leather stepping out- closing the door behind her-, walking away from it and leaning of the railings.

Schala looked up as the first stars appeared in the quickly darkening sky. The Owls' base had stopped in a secluded rail line, hidden by the tree line, for the night. She sighed softly, breathing in and taking in the soft scent of the nearby plant life. The flora was nothing like the one in Balamb, still she found it ratter relaxing, contrary to inside the train.

She leaned further on the sidings, supporting her head on her elbows as the recent developments flashed in her mind…

«Flashback»

Just after the end of the battle with Gerogero, the teens returned to the yellow train in disappointment and tired of the unexpected strain. They were met by Zone and Watts that, even though they had heard strange sounds coming from the president's car, they did nothing to ascertain what was happening or if they were in need of any type of help.

Not for the first time Schala- and she could tell her companions shared her feelings, somewhat- thought on how cowardly and unreliable the Owls seemed to be.

Rian proceeded to explain the events that had past to them as they reacted with surprise and shock to the news. By the end of the recap, Zone seemed dismayed as Watts just seemed somewhat relieved that it all turned out well, a bit in awe at the thought of the amazing battle they fought and were able to win.

"Man, I can't believe the president was a fake!" Zone let out with a sigh. He seemed to have placed a lot on the outcome of this plan.

"I can't believe we fell for it…" Rian added, his head low in thought as he analysed all the information on his head again. "… The intel looked so reliable, too…" He whispered almost inaudibly.

The small division fell in silent as the Owls' pondered their options. He suddenly straighten up, a determined expression on his face.

"We can't give up now!" All attention was focused on him as he continued. "We have to think on what to do next…" He walked closer to the centre table where the train model once stood but that it was nowhere to be seen now. "We know the president was coming to Timber for some reason… we have to find out why and think of a way to get to him. This isn't over, yet!"

The remaining resistance members' spirits seemed to rise with the Boss's words, and the SeeDs suddenly understood why they called him that.

They gathered around the table, discussing possible courses of action.

"Can we go home now?" Sorphan asked as he neared Schala, that was currently leaning against the wall lost in her thoughts and observing their employers' behaviour.

She shifted her attention to the brunet as he continued. "I mean, we have a contract with them, right? You know its terms?"

Even as her face remained emotionless, she was considering his words. They really weren't familiar with the terms of their employment. They surely weren't supposed to stick to the Owls for the rest of their lives (hopefully). That thought almost made her shiver as she leaned off the wall to approach the faction members, Sorphan following behind her as Zanya stood near the table, eyeing them with curiosity.

"Well, we need to get more information before we decide on any course of action…" She heard Rian say as she was close enough. "… So, I think that the best we can do is…" He suddenly stopped as he noticed the SeeD squad leader approach from the side and turned his full attention to her.

"Hey, I was just saying that we should acquire more intel before we head out again. There might still be a chance to get to the president while he's in Timber… We just have to find out why he came…"

Schala nodded her agreement but, as her penetrating eyes kept locked on his, Rian couldn't stop but wonder if there was more.

"Huhmm… yes?" He inquired hesitantly.

"May I see your contract with our Garden?" She said simply and directly, barely sounding like a question but not like a demand either. Just like she was ordering coffee.

"Oh, sure." Rian replied, pulling a rolled up hand full of paper and handing it to the SeeD's awaiting hands.

Picking it up, she unrolled them, noticing Sorphan looking over her shoulder and Zanya standing on her toes to do the same, and started reading them.

'_Balamb Garden (hereafter referred to as 'Party A') acknowledges The Timber Owls (hereafter referred to as 'Party B') ass the hiring party._

_SeeD (hereafter referred to as 'Party C') shall be dispatched upon signing of this contract. Party C shall operate under the supervision…'_

Schala read silently, frowning slightly at the bureaucratic style of writing.

"… The hell is that…?" Zanya let out, a bit too loud for her taste. Schala saw her confused face through the corner of her eyes, resisting a sigh at the blonde girl's impulsive manner.

"I don't get it." Sorphan also let out, but at a lower tone, as he also didn't comprehend what he was reading.

Rian turned from his conference with his fellow resistance members with a small smile.

"Yeah, that one's a bit confusing." He said as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a single sheet of paper. "When Cid saw me frown as I read it the first time in his office, he handed me this one." And he handed the paper to Schala, his smile widening at the recollection of his meeting with the headmaster.

"He's a great man." He added and upon seeing the SeeDs once more concentrating on the simplified version of their contract, he resumed his planning with the others.

"What's it say this time?" Sorphan asked as he once more peaked over her shoulder along with Zanya.

Schala started reading the new paper, frowning slightly at the handful of lines existing in it.

'_This SeeD deployment contract will last until Timber achieves independence._

_Please make good use of each SeeD member._

_I wish you the best with your objective. Please understand that this contract is an exception, and no replacement of any SeeD members can be made.'_

'_Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer'_

_What the…?_ Schala was barely able to suppress a cry of frustration at the headmaster's written words_… Until Timber's independence…? What was he thinking?!_

"Until Timber's independence!?" Zanya let out, once again loudly, as she stepped back from them, a new look of confusion showing in her soft tanned face.

"That's kinda vague…" Sorphan added, at a lower tone, as he also stepped back and pondered the implications of it. The two brunettes were basically thinking the same thing…

_This might take a while…_

"Ok, then. It's settled!" Rian's voice drew the SeeDs out of their individual reverie, focusing on the Owls' that seemed to have reached a decision.

"We'll head to Timber but stop on the tracks before the city. We'll drop our 'Information Gathering Team' and they'll comb the town for new intel to the president's plans." He explained as Watts stood straighter, indicating she'd probably be part of said team. "We'll regroup in the morning and plan on the information we get. I'm afraid that is all we can do for now."

The others nodded and Zone and Watts left the room, possibly to relay the decision to the remaining Owls.

"At least we can rest up for the night. It's been a long day!" Rian commented, stretching his sore muscles, as he left the room followed by the SeeDs.

«End of Flashback»

And so they stopped just outside the city limits and dropped off the 'Information Gathering Team'… three resistance members, Watts among them. They then retreated back in the lines where they came to a stop in a place covered by the tree line.

After that nothing special had happened, the other two SeeDs engaged in conversation with the rest of the faction members, hearing Zone and the others talk about the history of the Owls, how Zone's mother had formed it and how they were fierceless and unstoppable… and just as he started retelling his mothers greatest feats, Schala took the opportunity to escape the room deciding that a need for fresh air was in order.

Ok, so many would call it hiding, but she really had had enough of nonsense babble for that day alone that would last her a life time.

She breathed in again as her gaze traveled upwards, the moon peaking from behind the trees.

The door opened behind her but she didn't turn, refusing to acknowledge whoever had come to disturb her silent musings. Though she didn't hear whoever it was walking, she could sense movement behind her as the figure jumped up over some piled up boxes next to her.

Finally realising who it was, she reached her hand on to Angelo, patting his brown furry head. The dog let out a pleased whine, sitting down and enjoying her gentle ministrations.

Schala was so lost in her thoughts she never noticed the door never closed. Rian leaned against the door's frame, observing her completely relaxed form as she gently caressed his dog. He found it truly remarkable. Angelo had never acted like that with anyone beside him, and he had him for almost five years. The brown animal knew this girl for almost five hours!

Despite his original intention of approaching her and talk, possibly asking her what she was doing _hiding_ all the way there… alone, he did nothing. For two times now he had interrupted her relaxing and calming moments, moments that he presumed she didn't have frequently. He felt satisfied with just watching her so calm, so beautiful…

So, he just watched…

OOOOOOOOOO

It was high night in Deling City when some commotion was heard coming from the Presidential Palace's grounds. Sounded like the guards were in an uproar.

"We gotta find them!"

"Where are they?!"

"You've seen them?"

The two blonds observed the several soldiers movements from their concealed position on top of one of the palace's balconies, silently waiting for the patrol to clear.

"No sign of them here!"

"All clear!"

"This area is secure, let's move on to the next!"

"Move out!!"

_Alright, now's our chance._ The long haired teen thought as he signalled his companion and both jumped off their high ground, landing expertly and heading on to a truck carrying several large piled boxes. Even though there were a few metres to the wall from the top of the boxes, the SeeDs were sure to make the distance.

Making sure the path was still clear, they climbed the truck and its cargo and jumped over to the wall and beyond. Once on the other side they still couldn't relax, taking a path through back alleys and narrow streets till they reached the train station.

Acting as casual as they could considering what they had just been through, and what they'd seen, they walked up the steps to the ticket boot, acquiring two back to Timber, and headed to the embark area.

They considered themselves extremely lucky, the alarm from the palace had yet to spread across the rest of the city as they boarded the train without any difficulty. Collapsing over their seats, the teens finally allowed themselves to breathe normally and rest from that day's exertion.

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.: Yes, I'm alive! _

_Sorry, people… school started again and it's been murder on my free time… so sorry for taking… how long has it been… A WHOLE MONTH!? Oh dear… I'm so sorry!_

_I must thank you for your patience, I know many have been waiting for the update (if the over 100 hits to the last chapter published are any indication of that). A special hug to Rosalinda, for the lovely and concerned PM she sent me just this morning. Here's my reply, sweetie._

_Next, on Twisted Fantasy… the TV Station take over and the first appearance of the sorceress… What will happen? Will she take a Knight? Will she kill them all? I'd love to hear some theories… Tell me what you think might happen… all but you! You know who you are, no fair since you already know ;P._

_Many hugs, and see you next instalment… I promise not to take a month…_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	16. Chapter 16: Reunions

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Final Fantasy VIII… (__**Scares herself with mental images of what she'd do with it…**__)…_

**Chapter 16: Reunions**

"Info, sir! New info!" The SeeDs heard some commotion coming from down the hall, them having just stepped out of their temporary quarters for the night. Sounded like Watts was back and already briefing the rest of the Owls.

They walked on till the small widened area finding them all gathered around the brunette young woman.

"It's big news! I found the real reason why the president's here, sir!" She said as the teens entered the cramped area. All eyes left the information gatherer momentarily and focused on the new arrivals. After a quiet nod, Rian signalled them in so that they could also hear the new intel they'd been able to acquire.

"The president's going to the TV Station! Security's really tight, sirs, ma'ams!" Watts said enthusiastically, seeing to great pleasure that her news caused an impression on the occupants of the small division.

"… The TV Station…" Rian wondered out loud as his mind went into overdrive. "Why in Timber…? They can broadcast just as easily from Galbadia." True, there were broadcasting means in Deling City, with better online service even. Timber's TV Station used a different send out method, one that had fallen in disuse nearly seventeen years ago.

The SeeDs stayed quiet, taking in the new intel. It really didn't make much sense to travel all the way there from the capital, risking confrontations just for a broadcast.

"Hey!" Sorphan's low voice caught the girls' attention as they half-turned to face him. He continued at the same low tone. "Do you think the Dollet communication tower has anything to do with this?" He wondered.

Truth was that was the second incident related to information technologies that were incited by galbadian forces. It was possible that the restoration of the Com Tower had as background a…

"What's that?" Zone cut in their line of thought as he'd notice the SeeDs' exchange.

Schala raised her eyes to their employers, organizing her ideas before she spoke. "Dollet has a communication tower that can transmit and receive radio waves." She paused momentarily as the Owls stared at her in surprise. "It had been abandoned for a long time, but the Galbadian Army got it up and running a few days ago."

"Of course!" Zone's yell made all turn to him as he connected the dots in his head. "The only TV station that can handle broadcasts over the air is in Timber. Other stations use HD cable, which only supports online broadcasting." He finished as he looked around the room in search of similar signs of acknowledgement.

"So, what does it mean exactly?" Rian inquired lowly, almost as he was thinking out loud again.

"They're planning on using radio waves!" He replied, continuing as he still saw some confused faces. "This way, they can transmit images even to regions without cable!"

Rian gave him a blank look. Of course he understood the technicalities behind it, what he was curious about was… "What I want to know is… what is the president going to broadcast!?" He clarified, stepping in the middle of the room as he voiced his thoughts. "To resort to such means, he must want his message to reach the whole world!" He lowered his head and his words came out just above a whisper. "What can that message possibly be…?"

"Hey, everybody!" Sorphan called out, stepping forward and sending his right hand forward in a peace sign. "LOVE AND PEACE!!" He yelled out to the room (in a very Vash the Stampede kinda way).

The small, cramped compartment fell dead silent as the tall brunet SeeD was showered with all sort of odd stares. After a moment on which no word was spoken, Zone, purposely avoiding the brunet's eyes, turned to the others and continued _on the subject_.

"If I remember correctly… radio waves haven't been used in 17 years."

"… Indeed…" Rian started but his mind seemed to be somewhere else. He raised his head with a big smile plastered on his face. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if the first broadcast to reach the entire world after 17 years, could be the declaration of Timber's independence!?" He said as his eyes sparkled in a very 'Sorphan kinda way'.

The SeeDs saw as the dreamy eyes spread across the room like an epidemic.

"That would be awesome, sir…" Watts let out just before Zone stepped up.

"It might be possible! We must devise a plan to carry it through!" He said as he headed in the meeting room. "Watts, get Timber's blueprints and everything we have on file about the TV Station!"

"Yes, sir!" She almost saluted before running up the hall to a different room.

"Alright, first we must plan a route to the building!" Rian added as he followed the Owls' leader inside, ushering the SeeDs to follow and help with the planning. "All the main access points must be heavily secured, so we'll have to find an alternative path. Once inside…"

OOOOOOOOOO

The train shook slightly, causing the two blond teens- that had dozed off in their seats near the window- to bump their heads against the wall. They awoke immediately, standing up and ready to take on any enemy that could come at them. They took a couple of seconds to realize where they were, the memories of the last days flooding back into their minds once they calmed themselves.

They sat back down in front of each other, thankful that the late night train had few occupants which allowed them to be alone in one of the carriages' small cabins.

"How long were we out?" Quentin asked as he discreetly stretched his sore muscles. He might not be entirely sure how long did he and- judging from the other teen's form- Seifer had been asleep, but it must have been a few hours.

Choosing to ignore the statement or just having not listened to him at all, Seifer focused his attention on the landscape outside. The sun had come out already and, considering the time they left, he assumed they were close to their destination.

"We should be almost there…" He said lowly, drawing his gaze back inside the compartment but avoiding the other man.

Quentin nodded as he considered their next course of action. "Once we arrive we must board a train to Balamb as quickly as possible!"

Both teens' face grew serious as, avoiding each other's gaze, they reminded themselves of the importance of the information they were able to gather.

"Headmaster Cid must get our report as soon as possible!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Then it's settled!" Rian let out after a good hour of planning.

It was decided that a group would go to the TV Station through a hidden pathway that had fallen in disuse when a pub was built in the passageway leading up to it. According to one among several blueprints the Owls had in their possession, there should be a back door to the establishment that would allow them to access the passageway. Being neglected for so long, they anticipated that security would be far less than in any other access point they'd considered.

Once inside, the broadcasting set would only be two storeys up and, due to the president's dislike for security, there should be few troops in the upper floors. Hopefully, they'd be able to get to the president without triggering any alarm and secure him before his message would be sent out so that they could send one of their own.

That was the plan, anyway.

"All we have to decide now is who's going in…" Rian started and, once again, his fellow resistance members' reactions were almost instantaneous…

"OuuuucHHHHH… My stomach!" Zone whined as he bent down, hugging his stomach in agony. The SeeDs could not confirm he was faking it or not, and in any case, they had grown accustomed to the idea that they could not depend on the man.

"Gathering information is my speciality, sir!" Watts stepped back towards the door. "I'll go inform the others that we're returning to Timber to drop you off, sirs, ma'ams!" And she was out the door and running up the hall before anyone had the opportunity to say anything.

Rian suppressed a sigh as he shook his head in a mixture of amusement and disappointment. He looked up at the SeeDs with a slightly apologetic smile on his face.

_Though, I don't really have to be sorry for the circumstances, after all that's what we hired them for._ He reasoned before standing straighter and directing his words to the three teens.

"I guess it's just the four of us again." He said just as the train began to move again. "We're not too far off. We should arrive in a few minutes, make sure you have everything set." He finished before he stepped out, probably to get himself ready as well.

The SeeDs stepped out of the room, leaving a wailing Zone alone in the meeting room, and remained in the small entrance since they had already packed their belongings and were ready to head out as soon as they could.

If they were stuck with the Owls until Timber's independence, they wanted nothing more than to achieve it as soon as possible.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Next stop… Timber… Timber…" The characteristic triple chimes echoed in the compartment.

All throughout the train, people gathered their belongings and got ready to leave the transport, making sure nothing was left behind. The small cabin occupied by the two blonds was no exception, the SeeDs picking up some items and their weapons they had discarded once inside, before laying back and falling asleep.

The previous day's "activities" were still fresh in their minds and bodies, but they set them aside, for the moment. Their mission wasn't over yet, it was imperative to return to Garden and report to the headmaster.

They gathered their things in silence, each pondering the future in store for them if their fears came to pass.

New chimes sounded throughout the convoy, the same monotone voice echoing in the cabin.

"We'll be arriving in Timber shortly, make sure you have all your belongings with you before exiting the train."

OOOOOOOOOO

The streets of Timber were crawling with Galbadian Soldiers, even more than usual, every local commented as they were look upon with suspicion.

On a small bridge that overlooked the internal train system, a Galbadian patrol reported to their superior as he leaned over the railings, observing the halted trains.

"A local teenage girl… Asking questions?" The officer in red uniform inquired faced with the information his lower rank subordinates had provided him.

"Yes, sir!" One of the soldiers in blue uniform confirmed it, before continuing. "She was scrawny and real average looking… anyway, she was asking about the president's stay and schedule, saying it was for a school paper. I found her awfully curious and insisting to the point of suspicion…" He paused for a second as if remembering something. "She was very polite actually, and kept addressing me as 'sir', sir." He added.

The officer considered his words. It wasn't unusual for teenagers to want to know about the president in Galbadia, but in Timber the hate for Galbadian forces and ruling seemed intrinsic in every member of its population and such search for knowledge seemed indeed suspicious.

"I think I know who you're talking about!" One of the other soldiers cut him out of his train of thought, as he reported his own sightings. "I saw a girl fitting that description engaging three suspicious looking characters that arrived from Balamb by train early yesterday's afternoon. They all boarded a yellow engine car!"

_The soldiers on the decoy convoy reported a yellow train on a parallel track during their approach to Timber… Could these two events be connected? _The officer wondered.

"I'll go question every teenager in the area and pass out a description of those four kids!!" The same soldier exclaimed enthusiastically, saluting and rushing off the small bridge before the officer even had time to comment, one of the other soldiers mimicking his moves and rushing after him.

"No!" Came his late reply. "These are citizens. We can't inflict any…" He continued at a low tone, but was interrupted as another soldier cut in.

"How dare they try to kidnap the president!?" He said barely controlling his anger as he clenched his fists. "Not only is it disrespectful to the president, but it's a mockery to the Galbadian soldiers entrusted with his protection as well!"

The man straightened up, saluting. "I'll be sure to find'em and throw their sad be-hinds in jail!!" He yelled out before running off as well, the remaining low rank soldier following close behind.

The Galbadian Officer was left alone in the middle of the bridge, his eyes still locked on the empty tracks bellow as a cold breeze passed by him, his low voice breaking the silence that had installed around him.

"… Please… Hear me out… to the very end…"

OOOOOOOOOO

The Owls' mobile base entered the city, stopping on the platform and opening the door to allow the exit of the four teenagers. Watts stepped out behind them, smiling shyly as she spoke.

"The Galbadian Army has restricted local and transcontinental train movements out of Timber, so we can't stay long, sir." Her words were- mostly- directed to Rian. "Don't forget, your access point to the TV Station is behind the pub near the Galbadian Desert boarding platform, that way…" She added as she pointed to the southeast path out of the small plaza in front of the train stops.

"WaaaaaaaTTTS!!" Zone called out from inside the train. "C'MON! The express from Galbadia is arriving any second now! We gotta clear the track!"

"COMING!" She yelled back, very uncharacteristically. "There are lots of guards patrolling the city now! Please be careful, sir!" She continued as the teens, noticing some suspicious movement from some soldiers across the plaza made to move out of the platform.

The SeeDs and the Owls' Boss hurried across the square under the concerned gaze of the skinny brunette girl.

"I hope they'll be safe…" She mumbled as they were almost out of sight.

She was so out of it, she didn't notice when an arm went around her waist 'till it tightened its grip and pulled her in the train with a whelp.

"C'mon, Watts, the galbadian soldiers have made us!" Zone almost yelled in her ear as he dragged her inside.

"Siiir!!" She yelled in surprise as he closed the door and the train left the platform, a platoon of soldiers already on their tails.

Mere seconds passed till both the teenagers and the yellow engine fell outta sight of the occupants of the square when the train arrived from the Galbadian capital.

The few people abandoned the train and among them were two blond young men that headed immediately to the ticket boot.

Quentin stepped up to buy the tickets back to Balamb as Seifer remained on alert, noticing the increased security in the town.

"Two tickets to Balamb, please." The long haired instructor asked the girl in the boot once he reached it.

The young woman didn't tear her eyes of a magazine she was reading at first, as she replied with a boring tone.

"All train traffic out of Timber is severely limited for order of the Galbadian Army…" She said with disdain, apparently not very fond of them. "I don't know when the next departure to Balamb, or anywhere else for that matter, will be available."

Quentin disguised his surprise and fear upon hearing those words. Could the forces in Timber be aware of their presence there? Deciding not to panic unless there were reasons to, he tried to gather more information on the situation.

"Why is that?" He asked her in the most courteous tone he could muster given his state of mind.

The girl drew her eyes away from her magazine, setting on glaring at the man for interrupting her, but her intentions died halfway through when she looked at his handsome face. _Oh Hyne!_

"Well, the president is in town, which by itself meant an increase in security…" She relayed to him, her tone completely different as she spoke softly and tenderly to allure him. "… But the trains were stopped due to an attempt at kidnapping him, probably of one of those resistance groups Timber is so known for. Too bad they failed, though…" She added as an after thought.

Only smiling politely at the young woman's sudden interest in him, Quentin's smile faltered at the news of the president's stay in Timber. They knew he was out of Deling, but that he was in Timber surely made things more complicated. Then came the news of the attack on the president. He suddenly remembered hearing the Headmaster talk, on the night of the ball three days ago, that a Timber faction member had addressed him at the party, requiring SeeDs services and that he was going to provide a special contract.

Even knowing the stopped trains and high security status in town had nothing to do with their activities in the capital, he wasn't given the liberty to relax. If SeeDs really were deployed to aid in a resistance's activities and if they were responsible for the attempt on the president, there could be serious trouble in store for their future.

Noticing the young man's quiet and concerned demeanour, not to mention that he seemed to not be paying attention to her anymore, she gently nudged him back to reality.

"If you need a place to stay 'till the trains are running again… I have an apartment near here…" She not so subtly suggested.

Smiling politely at her, Quentin stepped away from the boot. "Sorry, but I'm taken. Thank you for the information." He said, giving a little bow and walking back to where Seifer was, glaring at the kid that was playing around with his dog a little too near him.

The young woman observed him as he walked away, her eyes travelling downwards as she thought. _What a shame…_ He stopped and she raised her eyes, seeing him talk to another handsome blond young man in a long light-grey trenchcoat. She sighed heavily, supporting her head on her hands as she saw them walk away into town. _Why are the best looking ones always gay…?_

OOOOOOOOOO

The group ran through the streets of Timber, not knowing the exact time the broadcast would begin, they couldn't risk arriving too late.

Passing over a small bridge over the tracks, Rian slowed down to a stop while gazing downwards. Only Schala noticed it, stopping near him as he leaned over the railings.

"The trains have stopped running…" He said lowly, his voice betraying a tinge of sadness. "It's so silent, it barely feels like Timber. There's always so much sound, the trains running throughout the town, all the time…" His eyes narrowed as he remembered the Galbadians were to blame for all the changes Timber had undergone.

To his surprise, Schala stepped to his side. Not only did he assume she'd keep moving, or at least remained silent or rushing him on, he didn't expect the girl to look so thoughtful towards his words.

Schala looked over the track lines beneath them, his words sinking in closer to home than she'd care to admit. She was so used Garden's organized structure and Balamb Town's quiet ambience… she honestly couldn't imagine them in an uproar, confusion or otherwise radically different. She couldn't begin to imagine how such a change would feel like.

"Schala?" Rian called out, wondering what was going through her mind, one that seemed always closed to him.

She turned to face him but they were interrupted by the others as they called out to them to hurry. Making a mental note to continue this later, Rian rushed to the others, Schala running by his side.

"Which way do we go now?" Sorphan asked once they were rejoined, the path ahead of them separating.

"It's down those stairs, near the train line." Rian answered and the four teens descended the simple staircase.

Once they reached the bottom, they noticed two Galbadian soldiers, in blue uniform, in front of the Pub's main doors, but they were too late to seek cover, not to mention there was nowhere the four of them could hide.

"Man! They weren't here either…" Said one of them as he lowered his head in thought.

"Yeah, but messing around with that country bumpkin was entertaining." Said the other one as he looked over certain items in his hand. "He sure had some cool stuff."

Rian tensed as it was obvious they were talking about some abusive manner they had treated someone. They always did what they wanted, never respecting the good citizens of Timber…

"… I guess, but we shouldn't push it. These Timber hicks hate us enough as it is. Better not to get into trouble if we can help it."

"It's not my fault, he started it… lousy drunk, disrespecting the army like that! I took it easy one him!"

The other soldier snorted as he gathered his thoughts. "So… where should we look for those suspicious teenagers next?" He said lowly, but loud enough that, on the other side of the small patio, the SeeDs tensed upon hearing it.

_Could he be referring to us?_

The second soldier suddenly noticed them. He elbowed the other man to get his attention.

"How did you say they looked like?" He asked, eyeing the teenagers.

"Well… there was a brunette, in very appealing black leather clothes…" He wandered off a bit at the memory, but soon collected himself and continued. "A tall brunet in green overalls, and another with spiky blond hair… why?" He suddenly remembered and turned to see him looking across the small area.

His eyes widened and he didn't need the answer that soon followed.

"'Cause I think that's them!"

The SeeDs reacted quickly, already anticipating their identities compromised, they charged the soldiers before they had the time to draw their weapons.

Schala went at one, pulling up her gunblade in a stabbing stance and thrusting it forward towards the man. On pure reflex, the man was able to dodge the lethal attack by stepping to the side. The girl was faster, though and before he could react, she pulled her hand up, hitting him hard on the side of his head with the hilt of her weapon. The man fell to the floor unconscious and unmoving.

Zanya charged the other one, jumping high and aiming a rolling kick to the man's head. He ducked and rolled away from the attack but once he rose back to his feet, he never saw the brown stick of a nunchaku hitting him in his front, knocking him out instantly.

Sorphan twirled his weapon upon securing it with a smile. "That was easy!"

"Piece of cake!" Zanya contributed, grinning at the others.

Rian approached them, they reacted so fast that, much like the soldiers, he only realised what was going on when it was over. A live-long of hard and demanding training had turned these teens into authentic fighting machines. Shaking his thoughts away, he switched his focus to the unconscious soldiers.

"They're still alive?"

"Yeah, but they'll be out for a while…" Zanya informed, her grinning expression growing. "… A very long while!"

"We should hurry before their presence is missed." Schala said as she dragged one of the soldiers to a corner, someplace out of immediate sight.

After concealing the men, they proceeded to enter the pub. The others entered, Schala taking the rear but she stopped just before entering, something on the ground catching her attention. Seemed to be one of those cards kids, and even SeeDs and other personnel in Garden were so keen on wasting hours and hours playing with.

Schala had a deck herself, a few cards Dr. Kadowaki had given her once during one of her _stays_ at the infirmary to entertain herself. It didn't work as intended, but she kept the cards nevertheless. She pocketed the Buel Card and followed the others inside.

The pub was wide and had a pretty appealing environment and quite the clientele for such an early hour. Several people were drinking either on the tables or on the counter. The teens' attention quickly focused on the place they expected to find the backdoor, one that would lead them to the alley that accessed the passageway to the TV Station.

Closing in on the locale, they noticed there was some sort of commotion there. A man was sitting in the way, directly in front of the door they wanted to get across. He looked somewhat beaten up and drunk, swinging back and forward in an angry rant.

"I've had enough of this city!" He wailed. "I came from Dollet to have a good time, and now… Trains aren't running… Can't even stay in a hotel because of some official… Harassed by Galbadian soldiers… Had my precious card stolen…" He sighed heavily. "… This hasn't been my day…"

Just when it seemed like was calming down, he raised his fist in the air, glaring at the ceiling.

"Those jerks!... They think they can use brute force to get anything they want! Hell… This town's a good example… Yeah!" His gaze travelled from above onto the occupants of the bar. He looked throughout the room, sending accusatory stares at every single person. "Everything's messed up because some resistance tried to kidnap the president."

The SeeDs and Rian stiffened slightly at to where the man's rant was leading, Zanya and Sorphan acting as innocent as they could as Schala just looked at him with the same expressionless eyes. Rian, however, was not liking where the conversation was leading.

"Thanks to them, the trains have stopped… There's Galbadian soldiers all over the place…" He continued his accusations. "… All because of them!!" He yelled out.

Rian tensed further, as did the remaining clients of the pub, growing annoyed at the man's ramblings and accusations.

"Stupid, boneheaded… good-for-nothing resistances! You can just kiss my…"

"Hey!" Rian timely interrupted, advancing at him in anger.

"You don't understand anything!" One of the men sitting at the counter started, almost spilling his drink as he rose and walked towards the man. "The resistances fight for Timber's future! They're all doing the best they can. It's the Galbadian soldiers and their leader who are at fault!" He emphasized, slamming his cup on the counter.

"Pshhh…" The sitting man huffed, dismissing the other man's explanations.

The man was about to blow, but a slim, pretty middle aged woman arrived from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. She was wearing a red and black simple, but sophisticated working dress and her brown hair was arranged in a bun. She approached the SeeDs as the other one sat back by the counter.

"Hello Rian, darlin'." She said once she got closer. "How are you doing these days?"

The raven haired bowed slightly in compliment.

"I am well, ma'am. I, err… We were actually wondering if we could go through your back door." He continued at a low tone when he saw her inquiring gaze. "We need to get into the TV Station as inconspicuously as possible."

She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Getting into trouble a little early today, aren't we?" She asked knowingly.

"No way!" He promptly replied. "You're only in trouble if you get caught." He finished with a smile that drove the woman into controlled laughter.

"Well, I'd love to help ya out, honey, but…" Her gaze travelled to the drunken man sitting on the floor. "… I'm afraid I can't force him out… you know I'm not a violent person… towards strangers, at least." She gently patted him on the shoulder as she made to move past him towards a table in the back. "If you can convince him to leave or at least calm down I'd appreciated it. He keeps mopping about a stolen card…" She finished shrugging slightly and left them.

The teens exchanged looks and neared the man. Schala walked behind them, the woman's words replaying in her mind.

"Excuse me?" Rian started.

"What do ya want?" He spat at them.

"We'd like to get through, would you mind moving just a bit so we can pass?" He asked politely.

The man gave them a blank stare. "Am I in your way?" He inquired slowly to which the teens nodded. Surprisingly enough, the man scoffed, speaking loudly again. "And you just shove what or who's in your way, right? Kids these days have no respect for their elders…"

He continued with his rant and Rian was helplessly motioning for him to calm down. That was not what he meant, but the man wouldn't listen to anything, going on with his speech about how the young people of today were irresponsible and ignorant.

He went on and on, no one was able to calm him down. Suddenly Schala realised something. She passed by her companions and kneeled near the man who stopped momentarily and looked at her with curious eyes.

"Is this your card?" She asked, showing him the card she had found outside that had probably fallen from one of the soldiers.

"Huh?" Saying the man was surprised would be quite the understatement, the man was speechless. This was the last thing he was expecting. He looked at the card in the brunette's hands, verifying it was indeed his. "… It is! Why do you have it?!" He asked, suddenly suspicious since the last time he'd seen the card it was being taken by bully galbadian soldiers.

"…" Schala hesitated for a second. The people there wouldn't care and would probably praise them for knocking those soldiers out, but the least attention they'd get on themselves the better. "… Found it outside." She continued, hoping they didn't notice her pause.

The drifter kept shifting his gaze from the card to the woman's face. After a little while, he reached for the card, holding it in his hand. "Are you serious?" She nodded slightly in response and the man looked up at her and her companions. "Thank you." He said honestly. "You know what? I was wrong! With kids like you there might be hope for the world, yet."

He smiled truthfully, and some of the SeeDs and the Boss couldn't help but smile as well, slightly embarrassed at his words.

"I'll move out of the way now… Can you two help me out?" He directed his words to the two boys but to his surprise Zanya anticipated them, stepping next to him and almost lifting him completely off the ground. "Woah!"

Sorphan went to help her and both sat the man on a nearby table. He thanked them, Rian nodded towards the owner of the pub, the woman signalling her thanks, and the four teens left the establishment to the back alley.

Once there, it wasn't difficult to see where they needed to go. There was only one path and they could see a structure farther on, with stairs leading up a platform that would give them access to the Timber TV Station.

As they ran off the alley, dodging and circling around the large amount of junk spread all around it, they didn't notice they were being watched…

On one side of the alley, a good three storeys up, a couple of kids observed as the SeeDs, and Rian, ran off. They ducked on the window, playing as if they were part of a resistance.

"We, the wesistance, caywied out the kidnappin' of the president…" The older of the boys said as the SeeDs were barely visible.

"And fwailed!" The younger completed with a mock exasperated sigh.

"But! The president will be dead meat, next time!" The older one exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Next time!" The younger reinforced, giving a little jump of excitement.

"Do you even know what kidnapping is all about…?" A female voiced sounded across the bedroom, surprising them that they jumped dangerously near the window.

The older brother recovered faster, trying to keep cool as his heart somersaulted out the window. "It's like playin' tag…" He said, his voice slightly faltering in the beginning.

"Mummy said u catch'm and then u give him a spankin'!" The younger one said, his eyes wide as he looked up to their older sister.

The girl chuckled. "Well… I guess it's kinda like that."

She kept smiling as she started going down the stairs.

"C'mon you two, I made cookies!" She called out from the ground floor.

"YAY!!" They both cheered and rushed downstairs.

OOOOOOOOOO

The two blond young men entered a small bar near the train station, proceeding to sit in the farthest and darkest corner of the establishment. One of the waitresses came by and after receiving their orders, left to retrieve their drinks, returning shortly after with a couple of Krakka beers.

Once the teens were alone, they resumed their previous conversation, unable to proceed before due to their exposed condition on the street.

"So, you're telling me that a silly resistance faction attacked the president, with the help of hired SeeD… and failed?!" Seifer said, his tone both jokingly and angry.

Quentin solely nodded in reply, to which the short haired SeeD snorted.

"Bunch of idiots!" He added as he contemplated actually taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage in front of him.

They'd only ordered the drinks as a pretext to be able to conduct their sensible conversation within closed environment, and Quentin had made it pretty clear they needed to be at their full capacities till this whole matter was resolved. So, as much as it felt like it, no drinking!

"If they were going to strike at the president, they could at least do it right!" He continued, his tone controlled despite his temper. "What kind of useless SeeDs did the headmaster assigned for this, anyway?" He wondered out loud. _Probably Scaredy-cat._ He added as an after-thought.

Quentin shook his head. "From what I've been able to gather, they were tricked by a decoy." He clarified but it didn't seem to convince the other man. "The SeeDs succeeded on their mission, only it was based in false intel."

"Even so!" He retorted with a snort, raising the bottle to his lips on reflex but stopping at the sight of the instructor's momentary warning glare.

Quentin sighed, airing out his concerns. "It's possible the resistance will try to go after the president again…" He paused and leaned on the table, his tone lower. "… and you and I know that if _She_ gets involved, it could mean serious trouble!"

Seifer snorted again. "It's their problem, let them deal with it!" He leaned on the table as well, his trademark mocking smirk ever so present on his face. "We shouldn't get involved, _instructor_, and you know it! After all, delivering our report to the headmaster is our top priority and we don't have the privilege to get sidetracked… don't you agree… _instructor_…?"

Seifer's jokingly tone did not go unnoticed as Quentin's frown and glare deepened with every word. He always found a way to annoy him, it was a _gift_ of his…

"… If _She_ indeed appears and the SeeD team, along with the resistance, gets compromised, it would mean trouble not only to them, but to Timber and possibly Garden as well!" Quentin emphasized.

Seifer snorted yet again, but there was a tinge of uncertainty he was able to mask with his defiance. "Then, they better not screw it up."

Quentin shook his head, giving up on trying to reason with the other blond.

_Those words are gonna come back to haunt you…_

OOOOOOOOOO

Rian led the SeeDs up the platform, only slowing down once very near the top. They all noticed a very large, wide TV screen in one of the sides of the structure. It showed only static, but it was activated.

"Woah! That is one BIG TV screen!" Sorphan exclaimed at the sight, leaning back on the siding and barely able to see the top.

"This thing must be visible all over town! Zanya cut in, also impressed with the sheer size of it. Schala stayed silent and expressionless, though mildly impressed. She spared a glance at Rian, who seemed deep in thought.

"The Galbadians probably turned it on so that even the people on the streets would be able to witness the broadcast." He pointed out. "They must be getting ready to start. We must hurry!"

The SeeDs nodded, following his lead up the last flight of stairs. The access catwalk went around the platform and set directly to the TV Station. Once on the other side of the rig, they could see the building and they were all forced to a stop as they noticed a couple of soldiers guarding the entrance.

"Damn it!" Rian cursed as they remained ducked out of sight.

"We won't be able to get any closer without being spotted…!" Zanya pointed out what was obvious to all of them.

"And the second they see us, they'll yell out in alarm!" Sorphan added.

"We need to silence them." Schala spoke, purposely looking at the other brunet. Siren's power could help them on that matter.

As if reading her mind, the tall SeeD tensed slightly.

"Well… you see…" He started, gaining an inquiring frown from the squad leader. "I lent Siren to Rian, so that he could help out a little more… sorry…" He promptly apologized faced with her glare.

Schala couldn't deny it was a good thought. She'd noticed, during their previous battle, that his magic was far from effective. But the timing couldn't be worse.

_**We can do it, I'll walk you through it.**_ Siren's serene voice sounded inside Rian's head. The raven haired shivered as he was unaccustomed with the whole junction business. But he recovered quickly, nodding to her, himself and the others.

"I'll give it a try!" He suddenly said, gaining the other's attention.

Zanya shook her head. "You can't just summon her, it would cause too much of a ruckus!" She pointed out.

_**I know that! **_Both GF and summoner thought, Siren's mental tone uncharacteristically harsh.

Rian's following glare could rival with one of Schala's as he made it perfectly clear he understood that.

"Okay, okay… sorry…" Zanya half-whimpered as her and the remaining SeeDs gave him approving nods.

_**Place both your hands on the floor and focus to channel my power. I'll do the rest!**_ Siren instructed to which Rian complied, placing his palms on the iron-netted ground and concentrated on the GF's power.

Seeing Rian was starting his move, Schala turned to her companions. "After they're silenced we gotta move fast to catch up to them before they can reach the door."

"It's gonna be tough!" Sorphan cut in as he assessed the distances. "We're too far off!" He added realising the soldiers would be at the door before they were half way through.

"Let me handle that!" Rian told them as he released a silencing pulse of energy. He smiled as his right hand went to his back and got hold of the edge of his curved weapon.

OOOOOOOOOO

One of the soldiers yawned, leaning against the wall and looking up to the sky in a vain attempt to escape boredom.

"This sucks!" He let out, the other man turning back to face him. "Why did we get stuck with such a backwater duty like this? It's not like anyone is _stupid_ enough to try something…"

The other man turned back to his original position, eyes trailed forward on the path leading out of the building.

"I know it's a shitty assignment, but somebody's got to do it." He said receiving just a snort as a reply. "Besides, it could be worse…" _It can always be worse…_He added as an afterthought, but the other man didn't seem to be listening anymore.

The soldier sighed to his partner's attitude. He'd also rather be somewhere else. He shivered, feeling a cold breath of wind pass by him.

"…" _Huh!?_ He straightened up confused when he tried to say something but no voice came.

"……" _What a…? What is going on?!_ "… … …" _I can't speak! Or, is it that I can't listen?_

The man turned to his companion, wondering if there was something wrong with him too. He screamed at him but nothing came out, and he acted like nothing was wrong. He stepped towards him, noting in the back of his head that he could hear his booted steps on the metallic floor. Reaching him, he started shaking him.

"……!!" The-once bored- man's eyes narrowed in annoyance at being disturbed just as he was dozing off, but his anger quickly turned to surprise when he couldn't hear his cry of indignation.

He leaned off the railing and both men nodded as they started for the door to call for help. A strange _"Whoosh" _sound made them halt and turn in the opposite direction. They saw an unidentified red object flying straight towards them at an incredible speed. Only one of the soldiers ducked in time to avoid it, the other one not being as fortunate and taking the blow at full force, being thrown to the ground unconscious. The red item flew over the "surviving" soldier who stood up immediately once the coast was clear.

_HAH! _He thought since he couldn't yell out to whoever had tried to knock him out. _Better luck next time!_ And he turned to head for the door. The last thing he remembered seeing was a red blur.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The large red boomerang flew just a few centimetres over the railings, approaching the teens at great speed. Rian stretched his hand upwards, grabbing the weapon steadily as it passed by him. He brought his hand to his back, securing his weapon in a special magnetic lock on his back, and turned to face the SeeDs.

"Done!" He said, unable to hide a wide smile of personal satisfaction.

"That was cool!" Sorphan couldn't help but comment, suddenly finding the red item in the other man's back extremely interesting.

"Cool?! That was bloody brilliant!!" Zanya exclaimed in all her enthusiasm. "What is that thing?"

And the trivia would have continued had not Schala stepped forward.

"Good work." She told him.

In all truth, she was impressed by the raven haired's performance. He was proving to be the only decent member of the Timber Owls resistance faction.

Rian accepted the praise normally, happy that he was able to impress the SeeD squad leader. But, noticing the other SeeDs' stunned stares he figured that, a compliment from the brunette SeeD was probably a very rare thing, which only made him cherish it even more.

"We should hurry!" She pointed out, awakening all of the others from their thoughts and into the present.

Nodding, the three teens followed suit behind Schala that had taken the lead. Reaching the fallen soldiers, they verified that, even though they were still alive, they wouldn't awake anytime soon. So, they advance towards the door that would give them access to the TV Station.

They entered the building, relieved to find there was no extra security on the inside.

_They probably don't think they need security in the higher floors since the ground floors are so heavily guarded. _Schala reasoned as they, even so, checked the room for threats.

"C'mon, the recording studio is just a couple of storeys up from here!" Rian told them. "If we take those stairs up…"

He was interrupted as a few nearby TV screens spun into life. They showed only static for a moment, like the large one outside, but Rian seemed upset as the image started to clear.

"It's starting…"

OOOOOOOOOO

Quentin and Seifer were still sitting in the same table at the small bar, waiting for something to happen. Though the instructor was taking it easy, Seifer was getting bored of all that waiting. Sitting around doing nothing just wasn't his style.

"How long are we just gonna sit here?" he asked, not for the first time as his eyes fixed on the untouched bottle in front of him.

Sighing, Quentin gave him the same answer he had given him all the other times he had asked. "We'll leave as soon as the trains are running again." He set his eyes on the other SeeD. "You said it yourself, our priority is to go back to Balamb and report our findings. Best to stay put and out of trouble." He added, to which the other blond merely snorted.

"Hey, Jack!" One of the customers by the counter called out, attracting the attentions of the remaining- few- occupants of the room. "Couldn't you turn on the TV?"

The owner and bartender, 'Jack', sighed heavily. "As I have told you everyday for the past 17 years, I could turn it on but it wouldn't do any good." He stated, picking up a glass and starting to clean it with a cloth. "All we'd get would be static…"

"Why's that?" Another customer asked. Judging from the clothes and the heavy travelling bag near him, probably a tourist stuck in Timber, much like the SeeDs were.

Jack approached the TV set, still cleaning the same glass. "You see this TV over here…" He started, pointing towards the device. "… It doesn't work with HD Cable, it only receives signal through radio waves… cost me a small fortune over 17 years ago… Then that world wide interference thing happened, preventing long range radio transmissions. Limited to short range communication and with the use of cable, no one uses radio waves anymore." He explained, never stopping cleaning the same glass.

"Why don't you just buy a new TV?" The tourist asked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world… and it kinda was.

"After all the money I spent on it!" The bartender let out, his tone high but controlled. "No way!"

The TV screen suddenly spun into life, leaving all occupants of the small bar with their mouths agape. It only showed static, but it had turned itself on without anyone pushing any button.

"I thought you said it didn't work?" The first man asked, a bit tipsy, but no one paid him any attention.

"It almost looks like the Emergency Broadcast System was activated…" The tourist wondered. "It supposedly turns on all TV screens automatically when there's a special presidential, or otherwise important broadcast…" He provided upon seeing the others' curious expressions. "… At least that's what happens in Galbadia… I didn't know it worked with radio wave transmissions…" He added as an afterthought.

All comments were interrupted as the screen began to clear, revealing a podium with a dark red background set. Shortly after, a chubby, blond man appeared on screen, tapping on the microphone and speaking into the camera.

"T-Testing… 1… 2… Testing… Testing…"

As if receiving an approval from somewhere behind the camera, he continued.

"P-People of the world! Can you see me!? Can you hear me!?" He exclaimed, obviously enthusiastic with what he was doing.

The SeeDs got up from their seats, their drinks forgotten as they neared the counter and focused their full attention to the small TV screen.

"This is incredible! Ladies and gentleman, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it's been 17 years since a live broadcast has been possible!" The man's wide smile faltered, him clearing his throat and resuming a more serious stance before continuing. "Oh, please excuse me… I seem to have lost my composure in all the excitement."

Clearing his throat again, he continued. "We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling."

_The president…_ Both SeeDs thought with discomfort.

He clapped as he stepped out of view. "Ladies and gentleman, President Deling."

The president stepped behind the podium, commencing his speech immediately.

"Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, lifelong president of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition." He paused for a second and then continued. "We the people of the world have the power to end all wars. Unfortunately, there are some trifling problems standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved."

_That doesn't sound good…_ They both thought, a deep feeling of dread starting to rise.

Suddenly some background ruckus was heard and, even as the president paused his speech for a second, he seemed to ignore it.

"I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve these problems. At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference." He added, much to the surprise of many of the watching townsfolk.

"All this just to introduce an ambassador." Someone let out.

The background noise increased and seemed to be closer as the president seemed to rush his words.

"The ambassador is the Sorceress..."

_Oh crap…_ Both SeeDs looked at each other, their fears coming to pass as he publicly announced his relation with the sorceress. Such a thing could only lead to a really dark future…

The ruckus in the background increased even more, so much that the camera seemed to shake. They saw as the president's attention shifted from the camera to something behind it.

There was a scream, and the camera was knocked down, though in an odd angle, it kept transmitting.

"Stop… name of… Timber… taking over…" The static noise increased making it impossible to understand what was being said.

The image fluttered further, but they could still watch as the president seemed to try and escape the room. He stopped as someone placed the tip of a blade millimetres away from the man's throat, him having no choice but to back down.

_It can't be…_ Seifer wondered suddenly, his heart doing somersaults as he recognized the blade. He had crossed it with his own so many times, there was no mistaking it.

"You're not going anywhere." A female voice broke through the static as the owner of the weapon stepped into view and was visible for only a second before the screen was overrun with static. A second was enough, however, to confirm Seifer's fears…

_Leonhart…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"You're not going anywhere." Schala told the president, holding the tip of her gunblade millimetres away from the man's throat.

"So, Mr. President…" Rian started as he stepped closer, the few soldiers that were in the room lying unconscious all over the floor. "We meet at last. You're a hard man to _get a hold on_!"

Vinzer Deling smiled, that type of false smile politicians are so keen to have plastered on their faces all the time. "Am I to assume then, you are the ones behind the attack on the convoy?"

The teens' expressions remained unchanged by his comment, but even that reaction told him what he wanted to know.

"It was, actually a reasonably good plan. You were able to fool the guards quite nicely, they only noticed the switch when they arrived at the station" He mentioned, his tone casual as he handled the situation in an ordinary fashion.

"Well, thank you." Rian's tone was equally casual. No one could say there was a kidnapping going on judging from the way they spoke… "Coming from you… it means absolutely nothing."… until now.

The president snorted, the proximity of the blade cutting him to a short reply. "I don't know what you are hoping to accomplish with taking me, but I assure you…"

"Relax, Mr. President, besides…" Rian interrupted him as he and Sorphan started to check the conditions of the damaged gear. "… you aren't our sole goal anymore…" He turned to the brunet SeeD. "Let's see if we can get the broadcast back on."

Deling's smile faltered slightly when their intentions became clearer to him. "You know all of this is useless." He continued, gaining their attention even as they kept the repairs. "The soldiers downstairs already know you're here from the broadcast… they must be on their way as we speak…"

Worry started to sip into the teenagers as they rushed their work, interrupted as Schala's voice made itself hear.

"Then we better slow them down, at least." She said, her tone emotionless and face unconcerned as she signalled the blonde martial artist to take her place. Zanya stepped up and held the president in a headlock as the brunette girl lowered her weapon and consulted her Guardians.

_Diablos, you think you can keep them busy?_ She asked to which the dark creature gave the equivalent of a mental smirk.

As Rian and Sorphan kept their work on the systems, and Zanya kept the president secure, Schala knelt down, placing her left palm on the ground, whispering the devilish beast into existence.

"Diablos…"

A large pitch black circle emerged beneath her, fading gradually as the Guardian descended to greet their un-welcomed guests.

OOOOOOOOOO

A large battalion of Galbadian soldiers rushed up the several staircases and corridors leading to the studio set where the president was broadcasting from. They hadn't taken long to organize an assault team once they noticed the intruders, but they were several storeys apart and the elevators could only carry a smaller number of people.

They reached a wider room and started to cross it when a black bubble appeared on the ceiling a few steps ahead of their position. They halted immediately reaching for their weapons and saw as something was coming out of the darkness.

Black fluid oozed from the bubble as the descending shape became recognizable. It was humanoid in form but his skin was black and red, his face resembled more of a black mask and he had a long whip like tail and large red and black wings. They also noticed that the dripping black fluid never reached the floor, remaining at a distance, floating in midair, just like the dark entity.

Diablos's yellow eyes opened and a strong wind blew past the soldiers carrying the darkness over and around them, leaving them completely surrounded.

They were in his world now.

"Fire!" The lead soldier yelled out, all of them snapping out of their thoughts and fears and pulling up their weapons, aiming and firing several rounds at him.

With a wave of his hand, Diablos distorted reality in front of him and as the bullets entered the altered area, they were instantly destroyed, much to the men's horror.

Ah, but they were yet to experience true horror…

Diablos resisted the urge to smirk as, with another wave of his hand, the small hovering portions of dark fluid began to twirl.

OOOOOOOOOO

Screeching and inhumane howls of terror and pain reached their ears from the floors below. Some of the teens and president Deling were barely able to suppress a shiver as Diablos did his job, halting the main force of the security detail.

Muffling the agonizing screams out of their minds, the teens willed themselves to focus on the task at hand, fixing the cameras and connections so that they could send out their broadcast proclaiming Timber's independence.

_That should hold them off for a while. _She thought, interrupted by the dark Guardian's words.

_**I can only detain the main force, I can sense a smaller one heading your way.**_ He informed.

_Acknowledged._

"There might still be soldiers coming, stay alert!"

The moment her words were spoken, they could hear some commotion from nearby and soon after a large bang was heard from across the room. It was almost like someone was trying to bust through the- previously- locked door.

"Break it down!" The muffled yell was all their warning before a squad of galbadian soldiers stormed the room, weapons ready and trailed on the teens.

"We're in trouble…" The raven haired man let out as the soldiers surrounded them.

Reacting quickly, Sorphan drew his weapon swinging at them and catching a few soldiers in his first attack.

Rian, unable to use Cardinal's long range- and more effective- attacks, was forced to use it as a melee weapon, mostly blocking and parrying his enemies' strikes.

Schala was quickly surrounded with several soldiers, but they never got too close as she fought expertly.

They were holding their own, but the space didn't allow for much freedom of movement and soon galbadian reinforcements arrived and they were being pinned down.

Seeing her companions in difficulty, Zanya released the president and joined the fight, her initial round kick catching and knocking down two soldiers.

Schala sliced down on her foes, noticing during her spin that Deling was up to something. He uncovered a secret passageway out and was trying to escape. Without time to relay it to the others, Schala eliminated the rest of the soldiers around her with a spell and a swing and immediately gave chase.

OOOOOOOOOO

President Deling rushed through the narrow corridor, leaving the sounds of battle behind him. He reached a wider area that had a small stage like structure and an adjacent door. As he made it for the latter, a weak electrical charge rushed over his body, causing him to trip and fall down to the floor.

The sound of running footsteps- that he had not recognized in his eagerness to escape- grew closer and as he turned on his- still- laying position, he saw the brunette in dark leather approaching him.

Without a word she raised her gunblade to his throat again, her serious expression leaving no room for resistance.

Schala motioned the president to stand but something on the opposite side of the room caught her attention. Looking closer, it seemed as if the back wall was being distorted and, much to her surprise, someone was coming out of it.

The woman was slim, the long black dress, with a low black fur-lined cut, stressing out her curves as she walked slowly towards them. Her face was covered by a red mask, a couple of horn like formations coming out on top of it.

She glided over the floor and Schala tensed as she grew closer. Her head was flashing warning signs even as the woman had yet to show any signs of aggression. She could almost sense an intense amount of power emanating from her in waves. She tightened her grip on Revolver, keeping it threateningly close to the president's head in warning.

_Could it be… the Sorceress?_

"My child…" The woman suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "My dear, lost child…"

OOOOOOOOOO

_**This one is strong… **_A distorted female voice sounded within the sorceress's mind_**…**__**She will be usefull… Take her!**_

_Yes…_ Her own voice spoke inside her head, her spirit unable to resist the other's greater influence_… as you wish, mistress…_

OOOOOOOOOO

The woman's voice resonated inside Schala's head, like a strange, distorted echo she was unable to shake off, and muffling her guardian's voices that screamed out for her.

"You are alone… all alone. They left you alone… you have no friends…" The sorceress continued, her words sipping into the girl's mind despite her efforts to keep them out.

"But you don't need to be alone anymore… My child, come with me…" Her words were so alluring that Schala found herself lowering her weapon, allowing the president a relieved breath.

"That's it, my child… walk beside me… Join me, you will never be alone again!" She added and the girl stepped forward.

Deling's eyes widened in surprise and, unknowingly to the rest of them, the sorceress's narrowed as the gunblader raised her weapon, this time directed at the other woman's head. Schala's eyes narrowed in determination and defiance… She would not be taken so easily.

OOOOOOOOOO

_She has a strong spirit… _The sorceress thought, her form almost shivering at the other entity's enraged, chilling words.

_**Strong spirits are meant to be broken…**_

OOOOOOOOOO

Taking advantage of his attacker's distraction, the galbadian president decided it was his best chance to escape so- as stealthily as his body allowed- he made for the door on the other side of the room.

Once on the other side he breathed in deep, rejoicing in the belief he was now safe.

His relief, however, was short lived as, when he raised his eyes to continue his retreat he came face to face with the intense sea-green eyes of a blond teen in a large light-grey trenchcoat.

The younger man's smirk gave the president a really bad feeling…

OOOOOOOOOOO

A loud crash interrupted the two women' battle of wills as the president was kicked back into the room, taking the door with him and both falling hard on the floor.

"Where the hell d'ya think you're goin'? A strong male voice sounded from outside the room, near the other man's position.

Schala frowned slightly as she seemed to recognize the voice and seconds after, her suspicions were verified as Seifer stepped through the broken doorframe into the room.

His eyes scanned the room, catching her stormy blue eyes almost immediately.

"Hey, Leonhart…" He started, his characteristic smirk ever so present on his features when faced with the surprise in her eyes. "… Did ya miss me?"

"… Seifer…"

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.:__ Heya, people! I'm back, and under a month (though, not by much…)_

_I really hope you liked this chapter, I really liked writing it since I've been replaying parts of it in my mind since almost the beginning, when I started writing it. It was actually supposed to be a bit longer but I decided, with the support of my Beta, to stop it here. She's very into cliffies and I'm afraid that it's contagious ;P_

_Don't worry, I'm already working on the next chapter… hmm… where did I heard that one before… Anyway!  
_

_Next, On Twisted Fantasy: The unfold of the Sorceress' initial confrontation and a "daring" escape from Timber! You're still in time to launch some theories my way! Now, now, don't be shy XD_

_Many hugs and once again, THANKS FOR READING!! Keep it up XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	17. Chapter 17: Separations and Escapes

**Disclimer**_: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, I only own this altered version of it... and if anyone tries to take it away from me... _**loads shotgun**

**Chapter 17 – Separations and Escapes**

"Damn it!" Zanya cursed loudly as her roll kick sent three soldiers back. "… They're like cockroaches!"

"I don't know how long we can hold them back… Where's Schala and the president?" Rian suddenly inquired, in the confusion only now realising the SeeD squad leader and their captive were nowhere to be found.

"The president made a run for it and Schala went after him…" Sorphan provided, sending a chain lightning spell that knocked down two soldiers and left two more dazed. "… That was a while ago… maybe she ran into trouble!" He added as his nunchaku knocked the other two soldiers into unconsciousness.

"She's all alone… We gotta get rid of these dammed guys and go help her!" Zanya told them, punching and kicking several soldiers senseless with a combination of blows.

Both males nodded as they resumed their efforts to defeat a new wave of attackers.

OOOOOOOOOO

"… Seifer…" Saying Schala was surprised would be quite the understatement. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, he was the last person she was expecting to see there.

"… What are you doing here?!" She asked almost accusingly.

"…Well, you're welcome!" He snapped at her, in a way relieved that she was safe, in another resentful for her tone. After all, he'd rushed into the place to save her… at least help her.

He forced the president up and pushed him towards her, like an offering, the man stumbling and falling back to the floor.

"You really can't do anything without me, can…" He stopped as his eyes identified the other presence in the room.

Schala's reply died down in her throat as she saw him suddenly tense and serious, his grip on Hyperion tightening when his eyes fell on the sorceress's form. She couldn't shake the dire feeling that invaded her when she thought she saw a tinge of fear on usually fearless sea-green eyes.

"You sure know how to pick your battles, Leonhart." She heard him whisper lowly as he assumed a battle stance directed at the other woman.

She still could not shake that weird sensation from his actions, but she also stood in alert, ready to strike.

"My boy… Poor, poor boy…" Her voice suddenly echoed throughout the room as she had remained silent during their reunion.

OOOOOOOOOO

_**The boy… take him instead…**_ The same distorted voice demanded to the sorceress.

To this she seemed to hesitate for a second. _They are both strong…_

_**Yes, both are equally powerful…**_ The entity continued barely controlling her anger at being questioned on her decision… she would have to increase her hold on the woman in the future. _**But the boy is fearsome… he knows our power… he'll be easier to tame… Take him!**_

_As you wish…_

OOOOOOOOOO

The woman's voice resonated inside Seifer's mind like it had on Schala's just minutes before.

"Stay away from me!" Seifer yelled out, cringing at the effect the woman's voice had in his resolve.

He had come here to help Schala, to prevent this exact situation to happen to her, but now it seemed like he was the one in trouble.

"Such a confused little boy… Are you going to step forward? Retreat…?" She continued, much like with the girl, using his deep fear and uncertainties to break him. "You have to decide…"

Schala was taken slightly back. Whatever the sorceress had tried to do to her before, she seemed to have switched her target to Seifer. There was no way she was doing anything to either of them, if she could help it.

But, her assumption that Seifer would be able to resist the woman's advances was mistaken as she detected- from the corner of her eyes- him lower his weapon to the ground. She turned fully, seeing his- usually lively- eyes glazed and empty. The lack of emotion on them scared her more than the sorceress's powers.

"Seifer! What are you doing?!" She screamed in his ears, barely able to control her voice.

The blond immediately snapped out of it, the girl's voice pulling him back from the abyss he felt like he was falling through. He looked back at her, catching her breathe in relief that he was back to normal. He was stunned that she seemed to care, and he was more grateful than anything, not only for her keeping him from doing the worst mistake of his life, but for the feelings for him she'd allow herself to show, even for just a second.

He turned back to the sorceress, a renewed determination boiling through him as he felt that, as long as the girl was beside him, he would never go wrong.

OOOOOOOOOO

_**Nuisance… Get rid of her!!...**_

OOOOOOOOOO

The sorceress's eyes glowed beneath the mask as her power extended from her form, directed at the brunette girl.

Schala felt like she was hit in the head, all her memories, all her consciousness slipping away as she was dragged to the back of her own mind. Her body staggered, her eyes were left empty, blank and lifeless, her arms fell to the side, her hand releasing its hold on Revolver as it fell to the floor.

The sound of clattering drew Seifer's attention from the sorceress to the ground beside him. He saw the gunblade lying motionless on the ground but it took him a moment to realize what happened. _There were no signs of attack, why would she... _His thoughts were interrupted as he turned and saw her.

… _Leonhart…?_ His heart ached at the sight. She seemed more than dazed, as she swayed from side to side. She was non reactive, almost… almost like a walking dead.

He turned completely, stepping towards her as he raised his hand to her face.

"Leonhart…?" He called out as he forced her to face him, but she wasn't there. Her eyes weren't hers… he couldn't explain it.

"My boy… my dear, poor boy…" The sorceress let out, drawing back his attention.

He turned to face her and his eyes were burning in anger. She'd done something to her, he knew it and whatever it was he was gonna make her do it right!

"Decide now, my boy… Come with me… my boy…" She continued, her entrancing voice echoed inside his mind.

Seifer shook his head as he stepped forward, holding Hyperion threateningly. "You shut the fuck up!" He screamed at her raising the tip of his blade to the woman's throat. "Undue it!"

The sorceress tilted her head, as if wondering what he meant. It didn't convince him though, in fact it only made him angrier.

"You know what I'm talking about…" He could barely hold himself. "CHANGE HER BACK!!" He snapped, keeping his gunblade trailed on her form as his left hand pointed back at the dazed woman behind him as he fought the will to look back at her.

A smile adorned the sorceress's concealed features. The girl had quite the hold on the boy, but his fear was like a breach in his mental defences and his quickly raging anger was enhancing the hole. Soon, he'd break completely.

"The boy in you is telling you to come… The adult in you is telling you to back off…"

Seifer shook his head. The voice inside was getting louder, harder to ignore, harder to resist.

"You can't make up your mind… You don't know the right answer…"

"Shut up… SHUT UP!!" He yelled out, both his hands going up to his head, covering his ears in the hope of muffling that distorted voice that was messing with his mind.

"You want help, don't you…? You want to be saved from this predicament…"

"No… stop… Get out of my head!" He asked, almost begged, her voice like a harsh torture.

He was stepping back now, hands still in his head as he shook it vigorously. She stepped forward, her hand rising to his face.

"Don't be ashamed to ask for help…" She reached him, her own hands easily leading his down. "Besides…" She wrapped her arms around him, holding him in a vicious embrace. "… You're only a little boy…"

"I'm not a boy…" He whispered as he buried his face in her fur-lined collar, his hands down… defeated…

"Come with me to a place of no return… Bid farewell to your childhood." Her mischievous smile widened as she now knew: _He… __**He's mine!**_

"SEIFER!" Someone called out, the two breaking their embrace to see who had dared impose on them.

Quentin stood there, hand on his weapon as he watched it. _Am I too late?!_ He wondered as he noticed the proximity between the blond SeeD and the sorceress. He could almost feel her glare, deviating his eyes he suddenly caught sight of the brunette girl.

_Schala?!_ He examined her closely and recognized her condition. The sorceress had paralyzed her mind, she probably got in the way… _She'd be the only one to be able to keep Seifer away from the sorceress's influence…_

He drew his weapon, if Seifer had fallen under the sorceress control just now, there might still be a chance for him to snap out of it.

As he got ready to attack, Seifer turned locking his gaze onto the other blond. His eyes weren't void like the girl's near them, it was more like their normal glow was gone, replaced by something else, something dark.

Before he had time to act the Sorceress did, a pulse of energy flew out hitting the instructor square in the chest and throwing him back.

"Woah!" Someone yelled out as Quentin's barely conscious body landed on the recently arrived teens that had finally been able to get rid of the galbadian forces.

"Instructor! What are you doing here?!" Sorphan asked, shaking the young man and receiving incomprehensive mumbles in response.

Zanya and Rian stepped into the room, immediately spotting Schala's swaying form.

"Schala!" Both called out as they stepped next to her, seeing her in a non-responsive state they looked around the room, detecting its remaining occupants.

Rian's eyes locked on president Deling that was still there, cowering in a corner behind the slim, strange woman in a long black dress. However, his attention was diverted by the blonde martial artist's words.

"… Seifer…?! What a…?" She started upon catching sight of the other blond SeeD.

But she didn't get a chance to finish as the sorceress acted again. The teens bent over as her spell hit, the air being knocked out of their lungs, barely holding their consciousness as they fell to their knees.

Following an unseen sign, Seifer started heading for the back wall, through the one _his_ sorceress had appeared mere minutes before. The president, following his lead, stood up and made to follow him, the sorceress walking behind the men.

None of them spared another glance at the weakened teenagers, as they walked through the wall and out of sight.

The moment they stepped out of the room, Schala collapsed, the shock of complete awareness returning after a state of total darkness being too much for her system to handle. But it woke her fully, though still a bit groggy as she looked around, trying to recall the last minutes but unable to do so.

The others also started to stir, recovering from whatever attack that had befallen them.

"Is everyone alright?" Sorphan asked as he helped Quentin to his feet, Zanya checking on Schala as Rian stood up and looked around.

"They're gone!" The raven haired thought out loud.

"You ok?" Zanya asked the brunette, noting that, even as she seemed recovered, she was still a bit out of it.

"We should get out of here." The instructor's voice reached them, all turning to face him but Schala that, even as she registered and found it strange he was there as well, didn't react to his words.

"We don't know when more galbadian soldiers will come… we should leave and discuss it later." He told them, to which the teens nodded. The last thing they wanted was to be caught by the galbadians.

Schala remained sitting on the floor, her eyes locked on her fallen gunblade as she finally found her voice.

"Where's Seifer?" She asked barely above a whisper.

The SeeDs looked at each other, reality sinking in that he was gone, taken to Hyne knew where. Rian eyes darted from one face to the other, wondering if _'Seifer'_ was also a SeeD.

"We'll talk about it later, now we must go!" Quentin insisted, motioning the others to move towards the broken door.

Schala took hold of Revolver and stood slowly. Turning around, her chilling blue eyes locked on the blond's clear blue, narrowed and demanding an answer now.

"Where's Seifer?"

Taking in a breath, the instructor replied.

"She took him." He said, closing his eyes in resignation.

Schala remained motionless just staring into nothing as the other SeeDs shifted uncomfortably. None of them knew exactly the relationship between the two gunbladers, either they were friends, rivals or lovers, just that there was always a tension (sexual tension, perhaps) whenever they were together. Now, Seifer's fate was unknown and they couldn't imagine what was going on the brunette's head… not that they ever did…

Rian, on the other hand, was more confused that the rest of them. Apart from a few single moments on which the girl seemed to lower the wall surrounding her, she was always serious and collected, in control of her emotions and, well, she seemed more upset with the mention of this Seifer guy. Unknowing of their history and the rumours surrounding their relationship, he got the impression that whoever he was, he had some sort of importance to the girl. _I wonder if he's her boyfriend or something…_He thought with discomfort.

The sound of distant footsteps interrupted their thoughts as they could hear the soldiers approaching.

"We gotta go… _Now_!" Quentin said again, and this time the teens needed no more convincing as all rushed towards the exit, Schala- apparently recovered from her momentary trance- taking the lead.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Seek them out! Leave no brick untouched!"

The SeeDs and Rian could hear the Galbadian soldiers storming in to search for them but they were able to pass by them unnoticed. Sneaking through the shadows, they exited the tower through the same way they had previously used to access it. Once outside and avoiding stepping on the still unconscious guards, they rushed over the catwalk.

Slowing down once they reached the platform on the other end, the youngsters allowed themselves to catch their breaths for a moment, taking advantage of the strategic position the structure provided, allowing them to see any suspicious movement before it became threatening.

"That was eventful!" Sorphan let out between ragged breaths, eyeing the others.

He first focused on Instructor Trepe, curious as to why him- and Seifer, for that fact- were there in the first place. True, he hadn't seen him since the Inauguration Ball, he was nowhere to be found the following day, not that he looked for him. Zanya was keeping watch, breathing heavily she didn't tear her eyes from the door they had used minutes earlier, attentive to any and all movement. Still, there was an inquiring light frown as she- once or twice- stole a glance to the other blond SeeD.

Rian seemed more drained than the others, not accustomed to such physical efforts, he took it a bit harder. He looked thoughtful, constantly switching his attention between the floor beneath him and the brunette girl on the other end of the platform. Schala hadn't said a word since inquiring for Seifer's whereabouts. She seemed even more thoughtful than usual- and that's saying a lot. Her aura seemed darker somehow, more troubled.

"We should get going!" Quentin's words interrupted the brunet's musings, catching everyone's attention, except for Schala who remained staring into oblivion.

All nodded and continued their escape, descending the steps of the structure, some noting the large TV screen was once again filled with static.

They rushed by the alleyway, absentmindedly avoiding the obstacles, their minds troubled on what to do next.

Slowing down again once they reached the backdoor to the pub, they made to recover their composure before opening the door and entering the establishment.

The environment inside was at the same time more lively and more serious than it had been almost an hour before. There were more people around now and they seemed engaged in serious conversation, with the occasional louder outburst. However, once the teens' presence was noticed, the voices silenced as the new arrivals became the focus of every occupant of the room.

"Rian, honey, you're alright!" The owner's voice broke the uncomfortable silence snapping the people out of their momentary trance and the youngsters from an increasing nervousness.

The raven haired only managed to nod in reply as everyone around showered them with approving, fearsome and/or worrisome stares.

The woman smiled as she stepped closer. "Seems like you got into trouble after all." She added dragging a small smile from the young man.

"Yeah, I guess. We gotta lay low for a while now… find a way to get back to the others…"

"Oh…"

Rian raised his eyes to find troubled and even apologetic expressions on most of the remaining occupants of the room.

"What is it?" He questioned them, a dire feeling starting to embrace him.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but faced with his demanding eyes she complied. "I'm afraid you base has been destroyed. The soldiers cornered it just after the broadcast was interrupted and blew it away…"

Rian's eyes widened as did the SeeDs with the news. The Timber Owls…

"And everyone else?" Sorphan asked as he stepped to the raven haired man's side.

The woman shook her head. "They didn't take any prisoners…"

"They're fine." Rian's words drew all eyes back at him as he raised his head and smiled. "They're good at escaping."

Despite themselves, Zanya and Sorphan along with most Timber citizens inside the pub found themselves smiling. The SeeDs considering that, with everything they'd seen of the remaining members of the Owls, escaping would indeed be something they'd be good at.

"Anyway…" He continued after a while. "We should lay low for a while… away from Timber would be best even…"

"The trains are all stopped at the moment, no one is allowed to go out of town for a while." A slightly bulky man, who was standing behind the owner, commented. After a shared glance between him and the woman, he smiled adding. "You are welcomed to stay in our place till things calm down a bit, till you can get out…"

Rian's eyes darted from one to the other, taking in their sympathetic smiles and offer. "I appreciate it… Thank you…" was all he could say as he lowered his head.

The man approached him, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You're welcome. Besides, after all you've tried to do for Timber, it's the least I could do."

"Let's get going them, we don't know when the patrols and searches for you will intensify." He added and motioned the Boss and the SeeDs to follow him out the front door.

They followed suit, Rian lagging behind and facing the owner. "Thanks, Madam!" To which the woman only nodded, and both him and Schala, who had taken the rear of the group ever since their escape from the TV Station, rushed out after the rest of them.

They kept to the shadows, alleyways and narrowed streets, till they reached a house, normal by any standards, and followed the older man and Rian in. They entered a rather cramped kitchen area, a large round table at its centre occupying most of the room. Their host ushered them all in, looking out the door and checking they hadn't been seen once everyone was safe inside.

"I'll let you know if there are any new developments." He told them after locking the door, signalling a young woman- around their age- with short brown hair that came down the stairs at that moment.

"Thanks, Chief." Rian replied in gratitude as the man smiled and resumed his watch through the window.

The raven haired smiled and made towards the stairs, which most of the SeeDs had already used to access the upper floor. Only Sorphan and the young woman were still there waiting for him.

"Chief?" The brunette inquired, shifting his eyes from the Boss to the "Chief".

"He's the leader of the Forest Fox, along with his wife." Rian couldn't hold a smile when faced with the other teen's surprised expression. "Almost everyone's a resistance member in this town. But right now, we're the most active ones… or we were…" His expression saddened slightly at the memory that their base had been destroyed and they were now on the run.

"Shit!" The Chief's voice made them turn to see him heading for the door. He spared one glance at the woman to which she nodded.

"Upstairs… Hurry!" She rushed them up the stairs.

"Will he be ok?" Sorphan asked halfway up as they heard the door open and a discussion ensuing between some people downstairs.

"He'll be fine." She reassured them. "According to legend, my father was unstoppable in battle, taking down many soldiers with his strength and cunning… only rivalled by my mom's…" She smiled at that. "… The only opponent he could never defeat…"

Gulp

OOOOOOOOOO

The SeeDs and Rian spread around the small second floor bedroom, each taking a spot where they could lean back and take a breather from their exertion.

Sorphan let himself fall back on the bed, muttering a low "So tired…" as he closed his eyes. Zanya leaned against the wall opposite to the bed, letting herself slide down to a sitting position on the floor. Rian also sat by the edge of the bed as Quentin remained standing by the door. Watching the remaining teens, his eyes soon focused on Schala as she stood with her back turned to the others, her eyes trailed somewhere out of the only window of the small division.

The senior SeeD took a deep breath, catching the others' attention, as he turned his head to face the occupants on the bed.

"You must be with the resistance that hired SeeD?" He asked to which Rian nodded affirmatively.

The raven-haired was slightly surprised. He was half-expecting some sort of accusation or lecture from the older man towards their intentions and actions, not to mention the failed kidnapping plan that got all of them in that mess. However there was no reprimand on his voice or attitude. The SeeDs' professionalism was indeed impressive. _But doesn't that make them just like robots…? Do they feel anything…?_ He couldn't stop but wonder as his eyes travelled to the brunette near the window.

"I see…"

"By the way, instructor, what are you doing here?" Sorphan interrupted whatever the blond teen was about to say, Zanya also raising her head in curiosity. "… And Seifer too…"

Schala shifted slightly, so much so it was doubtful anyone had noticed. The mention of the other gunblader's name drawing her from her thoughts and onto their words.

"Well, I guess there's no reason to keep it hidden any longer…" Quentin started after a moment in which he seemed to ponder his words. "Seifer and I were sent to Galbadia's capital on a mission for Headmaster Cid. We were to ascertain the possible rise of a sorceress, her powers and the possibility of a connection with the president… I suppose both are quite evident now…"

"Yeah… her power was scary…" Sorphan let out lowly before the instructor proceeded.

"And we haven't seen anything yet!" He continued, regaining the teens' attempt ears. "On our mission we got wind of a secret meeting among Galbadia's congressmen… a fancy word for department heads…" He added watching the SeeDs' curious stares. Vinzer Deling wasn't known for his democracy- quite the contrary, in fact- and having a congress was odd, to say the least. "Anyway, this meeting would supposedly address the issue of the rumoured alliance with the sorceress, sensitive matter the politicians wanted to discuss while the president was conveniently out of the city…"

««Flashback»»

"We're almost there." Quentin whispered to Seifer as they crawled through the- surprisingly clean and wide enough that they didn't feel like a couple of TV dinners- airvents deep beneath the surface under the presidential palace.

They stopped abruptly as they could barely make out the distant sound of voices. Sparing a glance between them, they hurried as silently as they could towards a view point ahead. Peaking through the duct grid, they could see a large conference room with a large desk occupying most of it and with the majority of chairs taken by seemingly important and powerful people. Either wearing expensive suits, highly decorated uniforms and otherwise fancy ensembles, the men and women in the room seemed to be in the middle of a really active discussion.

"If we follow Deling through it could lead to a World War! Are we sure that's what we want?" A man in a dark blue suit told the rest of them.

"We may not have much of a choice here." A woman with horned rimmed glasses in a business suit pointed out, apparently resigned with the situation. "We have no real power to prevent it…" She paused for a second as she adjusted her glasses. "… and there's also…"

"He is our president!" A tall man with short greying hair in a military uniform spat out and interrupted her. "It is our duty, our obligation to serve and obey him at his every decision!"

"You can stop kissing up to the man, General, specially when he's not even here!" Said someone out of sight of their hiding place.

The officer's reply was promptly cut by another man, this one wearing a pristinely maintained brown suit.

"A war with the whole world… can you begin to imagine the resources required to maintain such a campaign? War doesn't come cheap, you know?"

"There's man power, supplies, weapons and other gear to think about… the more we occupy the more spread out our troops stay… the more funds are required to maintain control over those places…"

"Not to mention our own borders' defence will become more debilitated!"

"And there's the matter of the Sorceress…"

The SeeDs tensed and listened closely as the room fell dead silent at those words, all eyes focused on the strict looking woman, with her black- with a grey line- hair in a bun and wearing an expensive dark and white ensemble, sitting at the edge of the table with her elbows supported in it and her eyes closed.

After a moment where the only sound came from their breaths, the man in the dark blue suit spoke again.

"I don't know what the president is thinking, bringing that… _woman_… Sorceresses are powerful, yes, and with her by our side we would become unstoppable… however, she is unpredictable and a maniac!"

"Yes! There is no telling when she'd turn on us!"

"We have the Adel incident almost 20 years ago as an example. They are too dangerous to be used…"

"Nonsense! If she turns on us we'll just take her out!"

"You make it sound so easy…"

"We shouldn't be speaking like this…"

"The Sorceress is powerful and a great asset to our intents! Allying with her will lead us to world domination!"

"Or to the death of us all…"

The SeeDs exchanged a look. Seemed like the Headmaster's suspicions had true basis. Galbadia had indeed strike an alliance with a sorceress and their endgame… World domination…

The men and women inside the room continued their conversation- that resembled more like a chaotic argument now- divided between supporting the partnership, and subsequent conquering of the world, and refusing to accept it, which would probably mean their demotions if nothing worse. Meanwhile, the woman who first mentioned the name '_Sorceress'_ remained silent through it all, silently observing and fearing that a consensus would never be achieved. As they were now, they could never stop the deranged ambitions of the president let alone, defeat the sorceress…

A sudden chill ran throughout the room and all discussion ceased almost immediately as those present looked around in search of the cause of such a sudden environmental change.

Even the SeeDs had a hard time suppressing a shiver as a slim woman in a long black dress and a shimmering red mask was suddenly in the room without anyone even realised when or how she got there.

As the unnatural silence stretched for a few uncomfortable minutes, the strange new comer glided around the room as if accessing its every occupant.

"Wretched little mice, hiding, lurking… sneaking little rats, offensive… scheming…" She said in a chilling but otherwise emotionless voice. Even through her mask, they could feel her penetrating stare boring through them.

"Y-You shouldn't be here. This is a private meeting!" The man in the dark blue suit stuttered, becoming even more uneasy as he became the sole target of the dark lady's attention.

He gulped loudly and in the next second he was gasping for air, his form collapsing as if he had just been punched in the stomach.

"Private…? And in this _'private'_ meeting, _I_ have no business attending…?" Her tone was both chilling and paused, much as her initial words. She approached the aching man "… Yet, you speak of me in this _private_ meeting I should _not_ be attending…" Her voice carried now a dangerous edge, making everyone tense further.

As she was almost next to the man, her form towered over him as he shivered uncontrollably.

The SeeDs inside the ducts tensed and doubled their alertness. They'd finally found her… the _Sorceress_…

"… Beings without knowledge shouldn't speak of which they do not know!" Her voice carried out, not another sound was heard except for the increasing moaning. "_I_ shouldn't be here!?" She almost screeched. "_YOU_ are the one that has no place here…" The man's body began to twist and rise in the air, convulsing involuntarily as it stood a few centimetres off the ground.

"Not here… nor anywhere else…" She added, her tone once more controlled as the man's eyes widened. The air caught in his throat, his eyes, ears and nose began dripping blood, almost as if his brain was being scrambled and squeezed. Then there was a loud _**Crack**_ and his neck bended in an odd angle and he stopped bleeding, stopped shaking… stopped breathing.

The power supporting his- now- lifeless body in the air faded and it fell heavily on the floor with a loud _**thud**_**, **somewhat muffled by the cries of fear and amazement of the remaining people in the room.

"You killed him!" A woman in a business suit almost screeched as she rushed towards the deceased. As she verified he was indeed dead, she looked up at the sorceress with hateful eyes.

The Sorceress looked down in disdain but disliking the other woman's apparent defiance, she made to put her in her place. A cold wave passed through the woman's body as her mind was forcibly pushed to the back of her subconscious.

She stood unnaturally, swaying from side to side… empty.

Even as she did not say a word, her message got through loud and clear. _Don't you talk back at me!_

"Considering you are already gathered here… we might as well converse… some…"

There were a lot of held breaths and wide eyes as the Sorceress made to sit in an elegant highchair no one had ever seen before, let alone inside the room. But before she sat down her eyes wandered across the division, fixing not in any of the congressmen but to a vent grid on the wall. The SeeDs almost flinched in their cramped hiding place as a new chilling sensation ran past them.

"But before that… there is a _rat_ problem that should be handled…"

««End of Flashback»»

"After that the palace was all in an uproar, looking for us. We were barely able to escape." Quentin continued, having the others teens' full attention. "We were also very fortunate the Sorceress herself didn't pursue us or we might not have been able to leave Deling at that point…"

The SeeDs took in this new piece of information, their concerns increasing with its content.

"What about Seifer…" Zanya let out barely above a whisper. "I wonder if he's ok…"

The instructor sighed at the memory.

"We were detained in Timber 'cause the trains weren't running and we both decided to lay low till we could leave town… however…" His eyes travelled to the brunette across the room. "When he saw the broadcast… when he saw that it was you… he was out the door and halfway to the TV Station before I could say anything…"

As the blond shook his head slightly, the others, not so discreetly, spared a glance at the gunblader as the elder SeeD seemed to have directed his words towards her specifically instead of the whole squad. Rian was particularly curious, wondering once again what kind of history the two SeeDs had.

They also looked at her in the hope of seeing something, a reaction, some emotion, perhaps. However they were disappointed as the girl didn't move a millimeter, her eyes still set on Quentin's general direction. Though, at least to the instructor, her mind seemed somewhere else at the moment.

"But why did the sorceress take him, anyway? Sorphan asked suddenly, sitting up on the bed.

"Information, perhaps…" Quentin supplied, his eyes travelling to Rian momentarily. "On who attacked the president…"

Schala frowned, which didn't pass unnoticed to Zanya who stood up, though still remaining near wall.

"What do you think will happen to him, Schala? You think he'll be alright?" She carelessly pushed the subject, wanting some sort of reassurance of someone she really looked up to.

Schala shifted her position to face the shorter woman. Zanya had a hopeful expression… however the brunette's face didn't waver and for a second, Zanya doubted she'd get an answer.

"With some luck…" Schala started, gaining the attention and surprise of the others. She hadn't said a word ever since they left the TV Station. "… he's already dead." And no one expected those to be her first words after that.

There were wide eyes, caught breaths and all around stunned expressions. Zanya almost squeaked when the words registered and they were all left staring at the brunette whose eyes were once again fixed on the clouded sky, outside the window.

Quentin was also surprised. Even as he analysed her probable line of thought and understood her reasoning, her words still came as a shock. Though he could swear there was a tinge of sorrow in her eyes for a second there.

"How can you say that?" Rian suddenly yelled out. He stood up and walked towards her under the- again- surprised SeeDs' stares.

Schala turned and looked at him with her characteristic emotionless glance, wondering: _What's his problem…?_

Such reaction just seemed to innerve him even more.

"Isn't this Seifer guy a SeeD too, your comrade? How can you be so cold about his fate, specially when he was trying to help you…" He all but shouted, uncaring that his raising tone could be heard across the house. Rian was beside himself, it just didn't make sense to him that someone could be so callous about another one's fate.

_You don't understand…_ She thought in reply as she sighed and shook her head slightly, but it had an adverse effect on the raven haired.

"Don't you do that! Talk to me, I can't read your mind!" He almost screamed in frustration. He felt like grabbing the girl by her shoulders and shaking her up, but resisted it. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued at a much more controlled tone but still holding uneasiness in his words. "Tell me why you're like that, how can you just dismiss your friend's life like th…"

"What do you think will happen to him?" Schala suddenly cut him off, her tone high and one could almost say angry was it not for the lack of emotion on her face. But she made for that lack of emotion with her eyes that seemed to be overloading with it. They were burning with something Rian couldn't identify and, honestly, her outburst spooked him enough that he stepped back.

"Whatever the specific reason as to why he was taken, ultimately they'll probe him for information… on the attack on the president and probably more! What do you think they'd do to extract such knowledge from him?" She pushed it, stepping forward with her eyes boring at his as he stepped back in accordance.

"Well… I…" Rian stumbled with his words, taken back by the situation. He had not seen much of the SeeD squad leader's actions, but he never expected to see such ferocity, not even as she battled that undead creature the other day.

"Torture or mind-control are safe bets, I'd say." She continued not even allowing him to say anything. "So it's physical or mental breakdown what's expecting him, can't say either sounds much fun…!" Schala paused for a moment, sighing heavily but still staring, almost glaring at the shocked Boss, not even noticing the other SeeDs' equally stunned expressions.

"As much as I would like to believe Seifer's able to withstand the physical torture and/or resist the mental attacks, there is no way to make sure… and if he's broken…" Her voice cracked ever so slightly. "He can tell them everything and that would mean trouble…" She narrowed her eyes further, almost in anger that made Rian give yet another step back.

"And trouble not only for _YOU_…" Schala emphasized. "… and the rest of your _resistance _group, not only for everyone here, but to Garden as well…"

To this the other SeeDs tensed, mostly Sorphan and Zanya that hadn't thought about that possibility, as Quentin was watching the brunette carefully.

"Our home and hundreds of people would be the target of their retaliation!!" She paused momentarily, suddenly realising her tone had grown in volume over the time she had been talking. Closing her eyes and breathing deep, Schala composed herself. She opened her eyes again but this time she avoiding the others' stare, opting by focusing them on the floor.

"Both for him and our- and everyone else's- safety…" Her eyes rose again to his. "… It's better if he's already dead…"

Her dark blue eyes locked on Quentin's apprehensive ones for a moment.

"_And don't tell me you haven't thought about it too!"_ They told him and he was surprised to find her stormy eyes with so much emotion in them, of course her face would never show it.

The room fell in sepulchral silence, the outside sounds of people and cars making the only audible background noise.

Then there were the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and the door opened to reveal the young brunette woman that had helped shelter them.

"The soldiers have left and moved on to another street on their patrols. It's safe to go down… now…" She started with a smile that died down progressively as she realized the odd and intense tension in the room.

"Is there something…" She stopped as Schala lowered her eyes to the floor and without another look, without another word, the SeeD walked out the door and on to the lower floor.

"… wrong?" She finished as she looked at the remaining occupants of the small bedroom.

Rian was at a loss for words, still standing in the middle of the room as Zanya was standing but leaning against the wall and Sorphan remained sitting on the bed, his eyes lowered in thought.

Quentin replayed the last minutes in his head and could barely keep himself from smiling as a sudden thought popped into his head. _I believe that's the more she has ever talked…_He eyed the others as they took in her words, though a strangeness was still evident in their faces from her reaction. It really wasn't like her to blow up like that.

He did crack a small smile as he raised his head to look at the ceiling. _Ah, Seifer… Seems like you really are the only one to drag a reaction out of her…_He lowered his head, closing his eyes for a moment _… even when you're not here…_

He looked up finding the confused young woman still staring at the others. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a reassuring smile and left the room.

Sorphan was the next to move, patting lightly on- the still stunned- Rian's shoulder before leaving the room as well, their young hostess following him out and down the stairs.

The Owl's Boss was still processing the whole thing. Her cold reasoning, her heated words, it dawned on him that the girl might suffer from dual personalities. Though her intense, stormy blue eyes didn't leave his mind, it was her casual, impersonal words that really got to him… she sounded just like a robot.

"Hey!"

Rian almost jumped as someone's voice reached him in the silence and a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to see Zanya with a sympathetic half-smile, though her face bore a concerned look.

"They don't call her _Ice Queen_ 'cause she has Shiva." She said before turning around and exiting the room as well, leaving the raven haired alone with his thoughts.

OOOOOOOOOO

Zanya reached the small kitchenette area that, just like the room a few minutes ago, was enveloped in an uncomfortable silence, the brunette's words still ringing in their ears.

To Zanya in particular, what had gotten her more shook up was actually the possibility that Garden, and very likely Balamb Town as well, could be in danger.

"Where's the "Chief"?" Sorphan suddenly asked, breaking the silence and making some of them jump in surprise.

The young woman, that had been guarding the dishes in a cabinet- and that luckily had finished doing so before her fright- turned to the SeeDs still with a shaky smile.

"Dad went out to check the situation. He should be back soon." She provided.

Quentin nodded before raising his head to the others. "Good. Now, we must decide on our course of action." His words travelled the room leaving the SeeDs pondering on them. "Where do we go from here?"

"Well…" Sorphan started. "Best it'd be to leave town, it's too _hot_ here for us."

"That is only the first step… we must know where we're going." Quentin suppressed a little smile at his former students' confused looks. "… Garden Code, Article 8, line 7." He simply said, seing that the confused stares hadn't altered.

_8:7… 8:7… _Schala searched her memory for the specific guideline_…In the event that returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, report to the nearest…_

"… Head to the nearest Garden." She finished outloud.

Quentin smiled in satisfaction that his instructor days were well spent and that- at least someone- was paying enough attention that the Garden Regulations were apprehended.

"Very good! From here, that would be Galbadia Garden…" His smile faltered as he continued. "It would be better if we could arrange some sort of transport… it's at least a day and a half from here on foot…"

Such perspective didn't fall too well with the SeeDs, but they didn't seem to have much of a choice…

"I'm going with you!" The male voice almost made them jump as none of them noticed the raven-haired descending the stairs.

Schala's eye twitched slightly at his words and implications.

Rian looked at her with still a tinge of resentment in his eyes. Her previous attitude didn't sit well at all with the Owl's Boss, and he wasn't going to forget it soon.

"This is an order, an order from your client, remember?"

The air was once again tense in the room as the teens eyes locked in a battle of wills.

"I think that could be arranged." Quentin sought to prevent a new outburst from either youth. Showing one's emotions was ok, but Schala was too unused to it.

"Fine." She gave in, closing her eyes and lowering her head to the floor, not at all pleased.

Whatever reply was cut off as the front door opened and their host stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"Welcome back!" The girl said, to which the man nodded before turning his attention to the SeeDs and Rian.

"Ah, good, you're still here. I got some good new and some bad ones." He stated, looking at them as if asking which they'd like to hear first.

Sorphan and Zanya shrugged, looking at Schala for directions. As the girl didn't react, they sighed and turned to Quentin instead.

"What are the good news?" Rian beat him to it, approaching the older man.

"Well, there's a train leaving town. They are letting the 1p.m. train to Dollet to depart on schedule." He reported, watching as the teens registered the information. "The bad news is that there are still a lot of soldiers on the streets. Getting on that train might not be easy."

"Still, it's our best bet to get out of town." Quentin said. "Not to mention convenient. The train bound to Dollet has a stop at the East Academy Station." He clarified. "From there, if we head west we'll come about a forest in a canyon. In the barren land beyond that lies Galbadia Garden. We can reach it by nightfall."

"All right!!" Zanya cheered.

"Great!" Sorphan whooped.

"… Ok then…" All eyes fell on Schala as she leaned off the wall. "We're going." She said and headed to the door.

Frowning slightly, Rian turned to the leader of the Fox. "Thanks for your hospitality."

"Don't worry about it…" He started then, as if remembering something, he half turned to his daughter. "Sara." He called out.

"Right!" She opened a cabinet door and took out a pouch with several items. "Take these with you." She said while placing the pouch in the raven-haired's hands.

"Thank you, Sara." He thanked her with a soft smile.

The girl lowered her face to hide the blush that crept into her features. "You're welcome… take care…" She said and left the room, almost running after her brothers that were teasing her, half hidden in the staircase.

"The train will depart from the Dollet platform, past the Pub, in about thirty minutes." He informed them as they were almost out the door. "Be safe!"

The SeeDs and Rian rushed out the house and headed towards the train station, avoiding some scattered patrols as best as they could. However, ever passing a corner, they were forced to halt as two G-soldiers were blocking their path, and there was no other way around too.

"What do we do? We can attack them out in the open like that!" Sorphan pointed out, keeping a watch on the two men.

"We can't go around, either…" Rian added.

"Hmm…" Quentin was wondering what they could do when suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. "Well, there is one thing we could try…" He said, his eyes locking on Schala's form as he couldn't hide a mischievous smile.

Schala almost flinched at that, she didn't like that look on his face… not at all…_ What is he thinking… Huh!? No…! No way!_

"No!" She said firmly, setting her glare on the instructor as the others looked at both of them utterly confused.

"C'mon, it's our only option." He reasoned, though the unnerving smile was still on his face.

"Then why don't you do it!" Schala argued, though a voice in the back of her head told her that he couldn't.

"I lack the package." He simply refuted, giving her an odd stare, under the stare of the other SeeDs and Rian that didn't understand what they were talking about.

"What about Zan…" She cut herself off, sparing the blonde martial artist a glance and frowning. That was an even worse choice.

She sighed, resigned and not at all pleased. That was definitely not her day…

She raised her eyes, glaring at the victory expression on the other SeeD's face. She stepped threatening closer, her hand going to her gunblade and unsheathing it. She stood in front of Quentin and handed her weapon over the instructor, much to their companions increasing surprise and confusion.

With one last glare, she passed the corner- coming at clear sight of the soldiers- and walked towards them.

"What is she doing?" Sorphan asked as four heads peaked through the corner.

"What she's trained to." Was Quentin's curt reply.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Man, we're always stuck with the most boring assignments… Keeping guard like this, those resistance members are either long gone or all dead…" One of the soldiers complained. With the other one's lack of response, he turned to see him staring forward as if mesmerized. "Whatch'ya looking at?" He inquired as he followed his gaze.

His jaw fell was he stared at the beauty walking towards them. She was curvy in all the right places and her clothes were quite appealing, her black leather skirt revealing her firm thighs as she walked, slowly and temptingly and coming closer by the second.

She didn't fell apart in smiles, her expression retained a coldness and seriousness that added to her looks. The men were stunned by this apparition.

"May _I_ help you?" One of the men asked as he anticipated his fellow soldier and stepped up, holding her- now un-gloved- hand in his.

The other man didn't fall behind either, grabbing her other un-gloved hand and pulling her a bit closer. "May _I_ be of service to you?"

"Well…" She murmured in a breathtaking voice, alluring the men into lowering their- already discarded- guard. _Men are idiots…_ She thought as she began channelling a sleep spell through her arms and hands.

The soldiers never saw it coming nor did they suspect it when they started feeling drowsy, not until they fell to the ground in a heavy slumber.

OOOOOOOOOO

The teens watched, wide eyed, as Schala approached the soldiers and they didn't give the alarm. In fact, it looked like they were closing in on the young woman.

Quentin's smile widened as the soldiers were completely taken in by her charm, one that she hid very well in her everyday life.

Seeing the men completely smitten by the- normally stoic and unsocial- young brunette, Rian couldn't help but let out: "Wha… How is she…?"

"Deception class." Quentin provided. "A SeeD has to versatile in many subjects so that he can act according to any situation he might find himself in. In this case, deception, seduction sub-theme… Schala totally aced it." He finished with a smile. _Seifer would say…_

Then the soldiers suddenly collapsed and the teens abandoned their hiding place and hurried to the girl, who was placing her thumbless gloves back on.

"That was impressive!" They were all cut off as an old man approached her. He was wearing casual clothes and walked bended over, like he was suffering from a bad back.

Schala eyed the "Mystery Man" with obvious disdain, specially when she felt his eyes on her in a way she really didn't like.

In a few moments, Zanya and Sorphan were by her side in a very protective, "body-guard" kinda way, making the old man step back in fright.

"Hey, chill, it's me!" He shrieked in defence.

"Zone!?" Rian wondered, stepping between the two SeeDs and receiving a nod from the Owl's leader. "It Is you, are you ok? And the others?" He promptly inquired, recalling that their base had been destroyed.

"I'm fine, everyone made it out before it exploded. And don't worry, Watts has Angelo, he's alright too." He answered him.

"I'm so glad…" Rian sighed in relief.

"You're here, so I suppose you're planning on boarding the train to Dollet." He said receiving the SeeDs and Rian's affirmative nods. "There are no more tickets left." He added.

The teens were distraught. Their last knowing chance of getting out.

"Oh, MAJOR bummer!" Sorphan let out.

"We need to get on that train no matter what." Schala told the rest of them, her determination and confidence giving strength to the other newer SeeDs.

"There's no need to do anything extreme." Zone suddenly said, gaining the attention of the teens. "Looky here! I have everyone's ticket right here!" He cheered in satisfaction as he waved some tickets in the air.

He neared Rian, placing one of them on his hand. "One for you." To which Rian smiled in honest thanks. "And for the SeeDs too, it was the least I could do…" He added as he handed Schala a few tickets. He then turned around, holding the last ticket in his hand. "And the last one is for me."

Schala looked down at the tickets in her hand. For such an unreliable bunch, he sure came through for them. She frowned suddenly as she noticed there were only three passages there. Her body tensed as it dawned on her… one of them had to be left behind.

Quentin saw the brunette tense and, finding it worrisome since things were finally looking up to them, he looked over her shoulder to see what got her worried. Seeing the three tickets in her hands, he understood the situation. After all, the Owls only knew three of them, he had no way of knowing about him nor did they have any responsibilities to give him a ticket. Seemed like he was stuck there…

"Well, I…" He started but stopped as Schala suddenly turned around and shoved the tickets into his unwilling hands.

There was a moment of silence between them as her actions registered.

"Wha…?"

"You take them to Garden, make sure they get there!" She told him, her eyes serious and leaving no room for the argument Quentin was planning on presenting. "I'll meet you there later, _YOU_ take them there!" She demanded and that was the end of it.

The other SeeDs and the Owls watched the exchange, their faces divided. As Sorphan and Zanya looked at the situation with a certain degree of understanding, after all they both had seen this side of her before, during the SeeD exam. But Rian and Zone were stunned. In Rian's mind, this was just another proof that the girl suffered from multiple personality disorder. She was either emotionless or raging, impersonal or sacrificial. There was no getting this girl.

On the other hand, Zone was moved by her sense of selflessness. This coming from someone that never sacrificed anything in his life and always shoved the danger to others' hands… Not to mention he always had a soft spot for beautiful girls like her…

The "old man" approached the young brunette and shoved- like she had done- his ticket onto her hands. Schala looked down at her hands and the piece of plasticized paper that rested in them. Moving to give it back to the man, that had turned his back to her, she stopped with his words.

"Go on. Take it." He said, his voice faltering as he hid a deep blush. She hesitated but was set on returning it but he continued. "I can get out without it, I'm used to escaping… besides…" He continued, turning to face her with a sly smile. "You kinda stand out." He looked her over as if memorizing every inch of her.

Turning back around, he started to walk away. "I blend in, so it'll be easier to sneak out." He looked towards the train station. "You all should hurry. Get going! The train will leave any minute."

The other SeeDs nodded and rushed inside the station, leaving only Rian and Schala behind. The brunette stood a bit back and turned to leave as well. Avoiding the raven haired's eyes, she walked away.

"Thanks." They both heard her say before she was outta sight.

Rian smile and he didn't know exactly why. "Take care. And stay alive, we still have to liberate Timber!" He yelled out to him, receiving a nod in replied and followed the SeeDs into the station.

"Ouch!" Zone bended over, grabbing his gut. "OuuuuuuucH! My stomach…!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"This train is bound for Dollet, stopping at East Academy station. Your tickets, please." The man standing at the edge of the platform asked to what Schala complied, handing everyone's tickets- that she had previously gathered- to him. "Very well, have a nice voyage."

The teens got inside the carriage, each taking a place in the small cabin- since they couldn't access the SeeD cabinet and the ride wouldn't take very long. Zanya was quieter than usual, leaning against the cabin wall, looking outside the window, Rian and Quentin stood on the other side as Sorphan neared the door leading further inside the train.

Schala stepped in the carriage, walking to the scanner as the characteristic announcing chimes echoed in the small division.

"This train, bound to Dollet, will depart shortly." The same monotonous voice said.

"Open!" Sorphan said, sounding just like those sci-fi movies where the doors obey to voice commands.

"We made it in." Quentin let out with a relieved sigh.

"Open up!" The brunet said again, this time louder and more commanding like.

"We should be alright now…" The instructor tried to continue but…

"OPEN!"

Quentin looked at Schala as if asking something. Suppressing a sigh, the girl turned and passed the tickets through the scanner. The doors opened and Sorphan turned to the side, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Thanks!" and he rushed in, them still seeing him lean over the windows to see the landscape as the train left the station and Timber behind.

"As I was saying…" Quentin resumed. "We should be alright now. We'll get to Galbadia Garden and be safe… well, safer…"

"Zone really came through…" Rian murmured, and again his mind wondered to the woman in front of him. The girl was a complete mystery to him…

OOOOOOOOOO

"Headmaster!" Xu's hurried steps broke the usual silence so characteristic of the older man's office.

"What's the matter, Xu? Something's wrong?" He inquired faced with the unusual dark-haired woman's behaviour and raising his eyes from the papers he was reading.

"Sir! We got word the Galbadians send out a world wide message, through radio waves…" The SeeD reported, saluting.

"Radio waves…" Cid whispered, thinking outloud. _The Dollet Communication Tower… so that's why…_

"Sir!?" Xu's alert tone told him that wasn't the end of the bad news.

_The message… could it be?!_ He thought, signalling the woman to continue.

"The president announced a peace ambassador… Sir, it's the Sorceress!"

Cid closed his eyes. He somewhat expected it though it still caused him butterflies in his stomach. _So the time has come._ He rose from his chair and walked towards the windows, looking outside to the blue sky through Garden's ring. _SeeD's true mission… it…_

"Sir…" Xu started again, interrupting his thoughts and re-filling the man with a dreadful feeling. "The broadcast was interrupted. All indications lead to an attack on the president, from a Timber resistance group…"

"What?!" Cid let out, louder than his usual tone, that last statement catching him completely off guard. The probability that the group in question was the one to which the squad of SeeDs was assigned was too great to be dismissed.

If that was so, they had less time to prepare than he had anticipated. Composing his thoughts, he turned to the SeeD.

"Send for two messenger teams immediately! This is top priority! They are to report to me as soon as they are ready to depart!" He instructed causing the woman to salute and ask one more thing before she left the room.

"May I tell them where they are going, Sir?"

"Two teams… one to Galbadia Garden, one to Trabia Garden…"

"Yes, Sir!" She saluted and exited his office to do what she had been ordered, leaving the headmaster alone with his thoughts.

_Martine and Albert must know of this… we must be ready!_

OOOOOOOOOO

The train ride went uneventful, Rian and Quentin seemed engrossed in conversation, about what, Schala didn't know nor did she seemed to care, locked away in her own private little world. Zanya was strangely quiet ever since boarding the train, standing in the same spot, her eyes trailed on the passing scenery. As for Sorphan, no one had seen nor heard of him since he exited the small cabin on the tight corridor ahead.

Three characteristic chimes echoed throughout the train, followed by the usual monotonous voice. "Next stop, East Academy Station. I repeat: Next stop, East Academy Station! To those exiting, be sure you have all your belongings."

"This is our stop!" Quentin stated as the teens broke whatever they were doing and prepared to leave the train, Sorphan joining them right before the train stopped and they all exited it.

"Now, we go west, follow the clifs till we see the forest in the canyon… shouldn't be more that a couple of hours' walk." Quentin told them and they all started their long trek, at a hastened pace, through the plains.

They moved mostly in silence with only the occasional comment or question. Schala took the lead, her senses on alert even as their large and tight group seemed to discourage any attempts of attacks from the local monsters. They were able to evade any confrontation and a few hours after the beginning of their walk, they could see the forest ahead.

"That's it, we're close now!"

They entered the forest cautiously, conscious that there could be monsters lurking behind every tree, just waiting to jump up on them. Keeping their normal-to-hastened pace, they penetrating the wilderness, following an almost faded path.

A sudden tap on her shoulder made Schala halt and half turn to face the other brunet.

"I think we should take a break…" He suggested, casually looking back to the others.

Following his gaze, Schala noticed that Rian seemed to be a bit out of breath, his resistance weaker since he was unaccustomed to the physical strain like the Seeds were, due to their extensive training.

"Fine." She gave in, leaning against a wall at the edge of the path.

With a big smile, Sorphan turned fully to the others and announced. "Take five, people!" Almost like he was the coordinator on a stage.

The SeeDs relaxed a bit, though still attemptive to their surroundings, as Rian sat down on a nearby dead tree trunk.

However, Zanya seemed a bit more agitated than the rest of them, even slightly more than usual.

"Do we have to stop? I mean, shouldn't we get to Galbadia Garden as soon as possible?" She asked, paceing back and forth.

"What's the rush all of the sudden?" Sorphan inquired in curiosity to the girl's nervousness.

"It's just that…" Zanya glanced sideways at the other brunette before continuing. "I'm worried about Balamb Garden!" She turned to face the squad leader, a silent plea in her eyes. "You really think they'll retaliate against Garden?"

"Maybe." Schala replied after a brief pause. "We can't discard that possibility."

Rian raised his head with a frown in his face. There she went again, callous and insensitive, uncaring of other people's feelings…

"B-B-But…" Zanya staggered. "Even if they move against Garden, the G-soldiers aren't a match for SeeD, right?" She pleaded, almost begged for some reassurance. "Right?!"

"Depends on how strong the army is…" _And if __**She'll**__ participate directly in the attack…_ was left unsaid as the blonde martial artist backed off in defeat.

"I know, but…"

There was a loud _**Huff**_coming from Rian and everyone stopped and looked as he stood up and started walking towards Schala.

_What now…_

He neared her and huffed again, staring at her straight in the eye.

"I don't get you." He said simply, making the girl raise an eyebrow as he didn't say anything else for a while.

"One moment you're placing your friends out of danger's way in the risk of your own life, the other you're dismissing them like you don't know them… which one is it?" He asked, demanded as he searched her eyes for an answer.

_What is he going on about?_

"Zanya wants your support, some measure of reassurance, just a 'It's gonna be alright', can't you even give her that? Is it to much to ask?!" He almost shouted at her in utter frustration.

"I don't know that!" She actually yelled back at him. "I can tell her that but it wouldn't matter! It would be worse if we get back and see '_It's not alright_'!"

"That doesn't matter! You don't know that it's alright and you don't know it isn't, you just have to take in account other people's feelings!" He insisted.

_That's just to ease your mind… it has no real meaning… the only one I can count on, is myself…_

"Do you _feel_ anything? Are you a robot, just a fighting machine?! Answer me!!" He demanded, shouting at her for some reaction.

_I…_

A sudden sharp pain ran through her head as she was forced to press her hand over her forehead. _What is this… feels familiar… like before, on the train…_

"Schala?!" Rian stepped closer upon seeing her in apparent pain and wondering what was going on.

Stepping closer, it was on pure reflex that he was able to got hold of her before she collapsed on the ground. Holding her in his arms, he turned to Zanya's shout as Sorphan fell to his knees while rushing to him.

"Sorphan!... Instructor Trepe!" She added, seeing the senior SeeD stumbling and collapsing near a tree.

Sorphan fell all the way to the floor, leaving only Zanya and Rian- still holding Schala- conscious.

"What's going on?" Rian inquired, carrying the brunette girl nearer to the others' position.

"I think…" Zanya started while checking the other brunet's pulse. "They went to the 'dream world'…"

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.:... __**author is hidden beneath her desk**_

_**she peaks over it, making sure there are no weapons(nor laser beams) aimed at her, before she sits back in her chair**_

_Ahmmm... HI!...(that was a good start...) I'm so sorry, there are no words to express my deepest appology for taking so long, and with a cliffy at that... Schoolultimate evil; school+Revirno time to write..._

_Anyway (change the subject, change the subject), I hope you liked the chapter and that you are pleased with the unfold of events... know that I made it like that for a reason and it will become apparent in future (Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuture) chapters :)._

_Well, there isn't much to say except, do not get used to such long chapters, really it got so big despite my better judgment, and the next one (at least Ch 18) will (probably) be ALOT shorter (this dream sequence isn't that big to begin with), just don't complain about it when the time comes._

_I'll do my best to find the time to write and update soon, just keep one thing in mind despite my words... it's the end of the semester, lot's of projects to deliver, and, like all good Portuguese people out there, I have the bad habit to leave it all, or most, to the last minute... you have been warned..._

_Hugs and kisses to everyone that read the chapter... the rest of you who didn't, if ya want hugs and kisses, READ IT!! ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	18. Chapter 18: A New Dream

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… I also do not own any and all movie references I've been using thus far and will keep on using till the end of this fic and beyond…_

**Chapter 18 – A New Dream**

The wind blew high across the mountain tops, chilling as the sun rose over the waters, at a distance. The start of a new day was upon them as the two women in galbadian military uniform lifted up their camp from the previous night. The third member of their squad, the "leader", stood by the edge of the nearby cliff, her eyes shifting their gaze between the unfolded map chart in her hands and the canyon below.

"I don't think this is the place…" Lana mumbled to herself, observing the apparent ruins scattered at the base of the mountain.

Her eyes travelled back to the paper in her hands, after a thorough examination, she tilted her head slightly before flipping the map upside down. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the new perspective before looking back at the ruins. Looking back at the paper, she frowned before flipping the paper 90 degrees and examined it again.

_I'm running outta angles…_ The raven haired woman thought as she flipped the chart again, after another glance at the structures below her. She half turned as she heard her companions approaching. Sighing and starting to fold the chart in her hands, she turned around fully.

"Hey, Ladies… I don't think this is the place." She stated, to which the two women shared a look.

"No, this _IS_ the place, Lana." Wada told her, nearing the edge and pointing at the ruins. "See?"

"Don't you remember our briefing? I tell you, this is the place." Kiara added, observing her friend as she looked up to the clear morning sky and the memories of their mission debriefing in Deling, came flooding back into her mind.

«Flashback»

"What were you thinking… if you were thinking at all? Not only did you abandon the battlefield at a crucial point in our attack, but you also took a vehicle that wasn't yours without even warning the squad it belonged to!" The General with cold blue eyes and short dark hair all but yelled at the three women, standing straighter than a light post, in full uniform. "They had serious troubles getting out of that jungle because of your little escapade and I find you in a bar! If it were up to me, you'd be…"

_OK… … we can skip that part…_

… "You are to go to Centra, there has been some suspicious activities on the eastern coast. Seems like an unidentified group has been digging out some sort of large structure there." The General informed, handing the women, a few papers where one could see a very unfocused image of some half-buried ruins in a canyon. "You are to investigate the situation and report back. There's a transport leaving for the continent in two hours, be sure to be in it! The approximate location of the excavation site is signalled on the map, the terrain is too irregular to allow the use of any type of vehicle, so you're going to have to walk there… should be an around four day trip…"

The General added, stopping his pacing and staring, strictly, at the three soldiers. "Do _not_ screw this up! This is your last chance… If I discover that you were slacking off during this mission, I swear by Hyne…"

_OK… … we can leave it at that…_

«End of Flashback»

"Right…" Lana let out after the mental images left her conscious to hide once again at the back of her head. "… I brought the wrong map…" She whispered, but still said it loud enough that her companions heard her, reacting by shaking their heads.

_So that's why it took us over a week to get here…_

The raven haired woman's gaze fell back onto the ruins several metres below them. She frowned suddenly as a dire sensation crossed over her.

"What's wrong, '_commander'_? Let's just get this over with." Kiara let out, emphasizing on the title.

Turning to face the other women, Lana's look had a clear '_Don't call me that_' message, which didn't prevent the girls' snicker. Yet, the commander's face became once again slightly troubled.

"Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this…" She let out, lowly.

Wada and Kiara shared a glance, between slight surprise and alarm, they examined their friend's actions closely. She might be an idiot- on occasion- but, past experiences had proven her instincts to be surprisingly accurate.

Meanwhile, Lana remained silent, analysing her gut feeling thoroughly.

"Seriously… I have a BAAAD feeling…!" she stated after a while. "There's somethin' fishy goin' on here!" She added, turning to the others who kept their slightly alarmed expressions.

"You know what they say…" Wada and Kiara waited expectantly. "The unfamiliar always happens!"

And the charm, the high ground that the squad leader had gained in their consideration crumbled completely.

"You mean… 'unexpected', right?" Kiara corrected, her face one of pure disbelieve. _We have __**this**__ to lead us?_

"You only got the 'un' part right." Wada added with a smile on her face. Teasing the woman was always entertaining… not to mention it happened _ALL_ the time.

Unable to hide the deep blush that crept on her features due to her recent humiliation, Lana turned her back to the snickering women and started walking down the path towards the ruins.

"Aaahh… anyway, let's get moving!" She promptly changed the subject. "Make sure all your gear's set and MOVE OUT!!" She 'ordered' and started running down the hill, closely followed by her companions.

The way down was uneventful, apart from a few near slips off the edge of the cliff- disasters neatly prevented thanks to Wada's swift reflexes- the three female soldiers reached the base of the mountain safe and sound.

Three pairs of eyes looked around, their faces a mix of amazement and disappointment.

"… This place sure is strange…" Lana commented, eyeing her surroundings with a suspicious look. "What about this big pile of rocks? I wonder what they're used for…" She added, nearing a particularly large pile and checking some of the loose rocks.

"Who knows…" Kiara started, looking around with obvious disinterest "… or cares?"

"Speaking of strange…" Wada started, looking closely at the raven haired woman. "You've been acting strange yourself…"

"Huh? Hmm… really?" Lana wondered. That dire feeling from earlier was still present, almost as warning her, keeping her alert. Not to mention her head was buzzing again. "I guess I'm just being cautious, ya know? Be on our guard on new territory, be alert of our surroundings…"

The two women raised their eyebrows. _Since when is she cautious? Normally it's her jumping in, head first, without seeing where she's gonna land…_ They thought as she continued her rant.

Such was their "alert" status, all seemed to be unaware of the several people sneaking around near them.

"… you know, so that you are never caught…"

The cocking of a gun cut her speech short and all three women turned to find someone standing in front of them, weapon up and pointed at them.

"… off guard…" Lana finished, half-hearted, and finally realising her position.

On pure-delayed- reflex, the three female soldiers reached for their standard issued rifles, but they froze halfway as new characteristic gun sounds reached their ears and then, only then, did they notice… they were completely surrounded.

"Looks like we've got company." Kiara stated as the three women stood back to back, their weapons half raised.

"Hmpf… Esthar soldiers…" Lana let out, recognizing their attackers. "Still wearin' those darn ugly, flashy uniforms… I wouldn't be caught dead in those…" She continued with a snicker mimicked by her friends.

"You are surrounded!" The first soldier told them, aiming his strange gun-axe weapon. "Lay down your weapons!"

The three women shared a glance as a mischievous smile grew on each of their faces.

"Well, ladies, you heard the man." Lana told them and the three women dropped their weapons on to the ground.

Seeing as they weren't going to offer any resistance, the estharian soldiers dropped their guard, relaxing and lowering, ever so slightly, their weapons. Even just an instant was enough, though.

_Their mistake…_

"NOW!" Lanara yelled out as she jumped to the side, drawing her side arm as the other women reached for their own extra weapons.

The surrounding soldiers tried to react, but the galbadians were too fast for them. Pulling out her trusty, silvery Desert Eagle, Lana's aim was flawless as her single round passed clear through the first soldier's helmet, the man falling dead on the floor as the raven haired woman rolled-landed, turning around and shooting more rounds at the remaining soldiers, catching a few before they sought cover.

At the same time, Wada moved her right hand behind her back and pulled out a massive axe, from a holster on her back, and swung it at the nearest soldiers that, caught unprepared, weren't fast enough to avoid being hit at full force, one of them ending up almost cut in half.

Kiara started to move the second the signal was given, unsheathing her weapons from a special sheath on her lower back, she rushed the nearest opponent, slashing him in an upwards angle. Her (BloodRayne like… hmm… Blood & Rain XD) dual blades glowed with crimson blood, but the woman was far from finished. Ducking and twirling around her adversaries, the dark skinned woman sliced and diced all in her path with an admirable expertise, the soldiers unable to follow her movements.

As Lanara shot down several soldiers from her partial shelter, which she was forced to seek when some soldiers started fighting back, Wada used her giant axe as a battering ram, pushing many estharians over the railings and into a long fall. There were already just a hand full of them as she raised her weapon and launched it down, hard against the platform, causing some of the remaining soldiers to almost loose their balance but giving Lana enough of a distraction to hit one and Kiara to approach and stick her blades into two more.

The two last men attempted one last desperate attack, going for Wada's and Kiara's blindspots, but two accurate rounds put an end to their efforts, their lifeless bodies falling limp on the metallic floor.

"Messy…" Wada let out as the women regrouped, none of them having even suffered a scratch.

"Wasn't it just a simple recognizance mission?" Kiara sighed. "Why does it always have to turn out like this?"

"Seriously…! I wasn't expecting this at all!" Lana claimed, looking at their defeated opponents. "It's awfully crowded around here… maybe we should have brought some more backup." She wondered as her friends examined their surroundings.

Apart from the path they had arrived through, there were two other exits from the entrance hall they were in. one, the apparent main one that ended up in a circular platform they could not see an exit from, and a narrower passage to the right of that that, they could see, had some descending stairs at its end.

"So what now?" Kiara said suddenly, getting Lanara's attention. "Do we retreat and report or do we continue investigating this place… despite the heavy estharian presence…?" She clarified faced with the raven haired's confused expression.

"Well…" Lana thought. "Maybe we should regroup… this was unexpected and I'm not sure we're ready to deal with the entire Estharian army…" She concluded, a rather logical and unusual thought pattern for the woman in question.

Receiving their concordant nods, the galbadian soldier moved to exit the strange structure.

"Ahh… hmmm…" Wada started, looking over the other women's frames, her height giving her a farthest view. "I think we should find another way… there's more soldiers coming down the mountain!" She elaborated for her companions.

The three women turned to follow on the opposite direction, but had to halt as Kiara, who had the temporary lead, stopped abruptly.

"This way is no good either… some soldiers are climbing up the stair at the other end!" She told the others and all three galbadians turned their heads to the only way out… the narrow path.

"Let's go before they see us!" Lanara yelled out and all three of them followed, in line, down the narrower path.

Lana had the lead and, as they reached the stars, she hopped off the platform, turning and grabbing the sides of the stairs as she fell. Sliding down and reaching the bottom, a good five meters down, in an instant she drew her Desert Eagle and examined her landing site for any possible threats.

Wada came down next, landing softly enough, and backing up her friend, weapon drawn and ready for anything. As Kiara joined them, they advanced over the platform the only way they could, with their weapons at a ready.

OOOOOOOOOO

Lanara raised her hand, making a fist in a halt order as the women stilled in a corner, observing the other soldiers' movements.

"Too many this way… we gotta find another path." She whispered to them as they trekked back to the previous junction and headed the other way.

The female soldiers had successfully avoided any other major confrontation with more estharian soldiers for the past hour of exploration, having solely knocked out some random patrols. Luckily for the girls, their trespassing and walking around enemy territory had passed mostly unnoticed, though they knew it'd be a matter of time before every other soldier in the compound would come after them.

Of course they'd hope to be long gone when that happened… somehow.

"This way's clear!" She stated. For a while now they had entered a part of the ruins that seemed made out of some sort of crystallized material, some doors and hatches preventing a further exploration. They came around a slightly wider chamber and, noting it was devoid of any threats, they allowed themselves to rest up a while.

As Kiara and Wada relaxed a bit, Lana seemed attracted to a silvery apparatus near the upper part of the area.

"What's that?" She asked herself lowly, approaching the device. "Hmm… a blue and a red switch… two fuses…" She murmured.

Even as those words were said barely above a whisper, it was loud enough to set off warning signs in the other women's heads. Nearing the raven haired, her two friends' eyes widened at the sight of the estharian detonator device.

"Ooohh… it's a detonator!" Lana concluded with a smile that made the other women cringe.

"Lana… watch it will ya!" Kiara adverted with worry splashed all over her face.

"Yeah! Remember last time you played around with explosives?" Wada commented, gaining a thoughtful look from the commander that, once again, raised her head and eyes to the ceiling as she recalled some past event.

«2nd Flashback»

"Lana, we should wait for the Bomb Squad…" Kiara exasperated.

"Yeah, we shouldn't even be here! Let them deal with it." Wada added.

"Bomb Squad… Bah! They're always late, anyways." Lanara told them.

The three galbadian soldiers were alone in the parking lot of an evacuated building, subsequent of a bomb threat. It so happened that it was not a fake threat and a quick search of the area revealed a car packed with explosives. Despite their better judgment, the two female soldiers followed their "fearless" leader inside the building 'cause she wanted to check out the bomb.

Once they found it, the raven haired began immediately to examine it, resisting the urge to mess around with it so far due to the insisting pressure from her friends.

"No, they're not! You just wanna play around with it!" Kiara accused, to which the- still- lieutenant didn't even bother to deny.

"C'mon, how hard can it be?" She asked as she moved the pliers towards the wires. "We just cut the blue wire."

A loud thud made the three women duck for cover, but when no explosion followed, they slowly rose to her feet and peeked over the car.

**Meow**

They released a breath they didn't realise they were holding as they stared at the alley cat that had just landed on the roof of the car, scaring the hell outta them.

They giggled as they relaxed, situation that didn't last long for two of them as Lanara ducked down to get back to the bomb.

"Lana, we really should wait for the Bomb Squad." Wada repeated, the woman could barely handle a toaster let alone a bomb.

"Yeah, we can hit the coffee shop upstairs." Kiara tried so as to distract her. "Have a _lacte_ while we wait."

"Stop fussing over it, I've seen them doing this all the time." She reassured them, not having much success. "Now, cutting the red wire…"

"Aaaahhhhh!!" The two women all but screech, making the other soldier almost jump back.

"What?"

"Just a second ago you said blue!" Kiara told her, Wada nodding repeatedly next to her.

"I did?" Lana wondered, thinking back.

"Yeah, you did." Wada confirmed it.

"Well… I meant red." Lana corrected herself, returning to the bomb.

The two women shared a look. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Lana responded absentmindedly as she advanced with the pliers one more time, this time towards the red wire. "Trust me!"

Crossing their fingers and hoping for the best, the two women closed their eyes and cringed as they heard her cut the wire. They waited for some confirmation but there was only silence for the following seconds.

"Ah… Ladies…" Lana started hesitantly, standing up with an ominous look. "Grab the cat!"

«End of 2nd Flashback»

They got cleaning duty for a month for that stunt, having cleared out the building seconds before it got totally demolished.

"I should have cut the red wire…" Lana added as an afterthought.

"YOU DID!" Both women all but yelled at her.

Dismissing their protests, the raven haired returned to the detonator. "Yeah… but this is different!" She said as she knelt down next to it. "See, the idea _IS_ to blow it up! Let me see…" She continued as she examined it. "The short blue fuse is for that boulder…" She looked over a large boulder just a meter away from them. "… and the long red fuse is for the boulder further down…" She added as her fingers inched towards the red switch.

"Hey, you…! Are you crazy!?" Wada told her. "You don't even know how powerful that thing will be!"

"Not to mention it serves us no use, apart from letting know to the whole estharian troops where we are…" Kiara reasoned.

Lana looked from one woman to the other, first focusing on the dark skinned one. "If we blow it up, we'll trap some soldiers and we won't have to worry about those anymore…" She then turned to her bulky companion. "And I bet it's not all that. The detonator's right here, so as long as we stay behind it, we'll be alright."

For such a daft person, she did made good points…

"Well…"

"I guess so…"

"Good! Let's see…" Lana stretched her fingers, a bit undecided on which switch to flip first. "Let's try this one first…" She said as she flipped the red switch, supposedly for the farthest boulder.

"The blast won't hit us here!" She reassured as, still, the other women stepped behind her.

**BANG!!** A large explosion was heard from afar, but it was so loud it could have easily originated from two steps next to them.

The boulder was propelled off its spot, raising a few centimetres off the ground before rolling down the path.

"Woah!" Lana let out, the loudness of the blast making her loose her balance and stumble backwards.

"That was awfully loud…" She commented with an accusing look and a raised eyebrow at the raven haired woman.

"Lucky we were here." Wada added with a snicker.

"I told ya!" Lana tried- in vain- to save face, keeling again near the detonator. "It's because of that you should always check how powerful the thing could be..."

Wada's snicker turned into a disbelieved look. "Wasn't that... me, who said that?" She noted to which the other woman completely ignored.

"... Uh... Ah... Hmm... Anyway, we're all still alive, right!?" She smiled to hide her embarrassment and turned back to the device. "Ok, let's check out the other one…" Her hand went to the blue switch. "Prepare to make a break for it!" She warned just as she flipped the switch.

"RUN!"

And the three women ran in the opposite direction, climbing some stairs at the end of the path.

There was a low **click** the galbadians didn't hear from so far away, but it was enough for the boulder near the detonator to dislodge from its place and roll, slowly, ending up blocking the passage below.

"That was… awfully quiet." Kiara let out as the women returned down to see what had happened.

"I was expecting some sort of blast…" Wada added but, reaching the site they noted the boulder was no longer at its place, so whatever happened seemed to work.

"See! I told you!" Lana turned with a triumphant look. "I told you it wasn't all that powerful!"

Wada and Kiara shared a disbelieved glance but decided against saying anything.

"Ok, our work here is done…" The raven haired added seeing the passage blocked. "Let's move on!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"It's getting dark." Rian stated, looking at the dimming sunlight that overcame the high foliage.

Over three hours had passed since the teens had collapsed and they showed no sign of coming to anytime soon. Not to mention that Zanya's recount of their past experience, the little over nine hour trip from Balamb to Timber, didn't look cheering at all.

_What is this dream world, anyway…? _Rian wondered not for the first time as he looked sideways at the unconscious SeeDs. He couldn't hide a smile as he stared at the brunette's sleeping figure. Schala looked so peaceful, the lack of that permanent frown on her features made her look beautiful, reminding him of their first meeting at the inauguration ball.

_No…_ he thought… _she looks even more beautiful now, more natural…_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching. Reaching out for his giant boomerang, he relaxed once the short but muscled frame of the blonde martial artist came into view.

"No monsters around for a ten metre radius." She reported. Zanya had befallen upon herself to make sure the area was secure, the two remaining teens unaware of how long the others would be out.

"Dully noted." He answered back resuming his post, which was basically sitting in a fallen dead tree trunk as he watched over the slumbering teens, whom they had laid on the soft grass near said trunk.

"No change?" Zanya asked, crouching near the others.

"No… it'll be dark soon… What do we do if they don't wake up till nightfall?" He suddenly inquired, the thought being running through his mind for a while now.

"Hmm… I guess we'll have to make camp…" Zanya said outloud, unsure of exactly what to do when that time came. "This clearing is wide enough that we'll have a good look at anything that comes too close… maybe burn out some of that tall grass…" She added remembering their encounter during the SeeD exam with the Anacondaurs. "We'll have to make shifts watching over them… but we should manage…"

A deep silence stretched between them at the uncertainty of their destiny…

"I'll rest up a bit before my next round…" She let out as she sat next to the raven haired young man.

Rian sighed as he stood up. "It's getting cold… I'll go get some firewood." He added before walking away.

"Ok. Be on your guard!" Zanya warned before lying down on the fallen tree.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Watch out!" Lana yelled out, Wada ducking out of harm just in time to avoid a lethal beam laser.

The bulky woman had to quickly get back on her feet to avoid being hit with some wreckage that came flying her way, having past her and now heading straight to the dark skinned woman.

Kiara stood up, recovering from a lucky blow of her opponents and, noting the large object heading straight at her, she reacted. Bringing her dual blades up, she jumped and twirled over it and landed safely on the other side, the wreckage falling cut in half behind her.

Lana jumped to the side and rolled to avoid the mechanoid's attack while unloading a full clip at the thing.

The Galbadian soldiers had been surprised when, while passing under a strange looking archway, it suddenly came to life, attacking them and hitting Kiara with the strange sphere at its centre. As they tried to defend themselves from their strange enemy, a Gesper jumped from under a platform and started throwing pieces of debris at them with its telekinesis.

Now that they were recovered from their initial surprise, the women were starting to fight back.

Lana's aim was flawless, but the strange, four-armed monster seemed to have a personal shield that made her attacks void. Thinking quickly on a way to overcome such obstacle, she had an idea as she noted Wada and Kiara fighting the other annoying monster. Ducking and rolling under the Elastoid's spin attack, she made to place her plan into motion.

Meanwhile, Wada was exchanging punches with the Gesper, her weapon having been forcibly discarded moments before. Kiara came to back her up, her blades reflecting the crystalline walls' unnatural glow as she attempted to injure the creature, but its flexibility was incredibly high and it successfully avoided every attack.

"Thundara!" Lanara yelled from across the room as she launched the electric spell towards, not her opponent, but the Gesper.

The monster took the hit but didn't seem too unfazed by it as it turned to face its offender, the other women backing down as they already knew what was coming and, knowing that, found it odd that she would provoke such an attack.

The Gesper started to concentrate, sparkles all around it as it prepared for its most devastating attack.

A dark pulse left him heading for the raven haired woman, even sound was being sucked into the dark sphere as Kiara's and Wada's screams became inaudible. But Lana was smiling.

At the last second she rolled out of the path of the attack, the dark attack hitting the Elastoid's frame, and even as it didn't cause any physical damage, it was enough to disrupt the creature's shield.

Lana only needed one bullet, straight at the central purple sphere, to finish it off, the ball shattering like crystal and its body falling, inactive, on the floor.

As for the Gesper, Lanara's stunt was enough of a distraction that a combined attack from the other two galbadians hit their target, leaving the creature spread across the ground in several pieces.

"That went well… though a bit messy… Yuck." Lana commented, approaching her companions and nearly stepping on some Gesper leftover.

"You're nuts, you know that? Completely crazy!" Wada told her, setting down her axe and healing her injuries.

"That's a good thing, or that might not have worked…" She promptly replied.

The three friends stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.

"You _are_ crazy!" Kiara managed to say in between laughs.

"Yeah… Aahahahah… C'mon, ladies, let's get outta her before anything else comes at us." Lana suggested and the others nodded in approval, controlling their laughter and following her out of the chamber.

They didn't find anymore monsters nor soldiers as they left the coloured pathway back into the crystalline tunnels. A few minutes later, they reached another junction, one path leading back into the deep structure as the other…

"I can see light from there. Is that… sun light?" The women heard Lana said before she took off up the path, not even giving them a chance to say anything.

"Wait up!" They yelled out at her as they followed.

The outside brightness blinded them momentarily and when their eyes adjusted they saw they were standing at the edge of a high cliff leading out to sea.

"Ain't this a sight for sore eyes…" Lana let out, breathing in the salty high breeze.

"Yeah beautiful… but…" Kiara commented.

"…How are we getting down from here?" Wada completed, both women realising their situation.

"Hmm… we can jump…?" Lana suggested, but a quick look down shattered her determination. _Oh dear, that's one long fall… nothing is gonna make do that jump if I can help it…_ "… maybe not…"

Faced with a dead end, Wada and Kiara turned back to follow the path they had came from… however…

"Ahmm…" Kiara mumbled.

"Uh-oh…" Wada let out.

"Don't tell me…" Lanara said, surprisingly calm, before she turned around and saw what their companions had seem. Somehow, she half expected that…

Standing directly in front of the galbadian soldiers were little over a handful of estharian soldiers, all armed with those strange looking gun-axe weapons and none looking the least bit friendly.

"Of all the worst possible…" Kiara started, drawing her weapons slowly and preparing.

"… Predicaments…?" Wada finished, pulling out her own weapon and waiting for the start of yet another battle.

The soldiers attacked, the squad of six dividing themselves equally to face each of the women.

Wada advanced against them, gaining speed she swung her axe at her attackers. One of the soldiers jumped back to avoid it as the other leaped over the bulky woman, slashing at her back. Wada stumbled forward, her armour the only reason for survival, and tried to regain her balance, doing so barely in time to parry one of the soldiers attack.

"These guys are tough…!" She commented out loud so that the others could hear.

Kiara was busy herself. Following her usual M.O., she ducked and twirled and jumped all over her opponents, Blood & Rain moving in a- usually- deadly dance, however she had been unable to connect her blows thus far. They moved with inhuman speed and agility that matched her own, and maybe even surpassed it.

"… And fast…" She added as they avoided her attacks once more.

At the same time, Lana had emptied an entire clip trying to prevent the estharians from getting too close, but the soldiers were being successful in dodging every bullet.

_This is unreal!_ She thought as she ducked under one of their attacks but was unable to avoid a hit on the head from the other. Luckily, it wasn't too hard and she recovered faster than her enemies anticipated, being able to hit one with the butt of her gun.

_The hell?!_ She wondered as the sound it made was different from what it usually would be. Only when she looked at the soldiers more closely did she noticed their armour was of a different colour than the other soldiers they had faced that day. Not so flashy, but still darn ugly.

"Their armour's different…" She was barely able to yell out as they came at her again.

"That's it!" Kiara exclaimed, finally being able to kick one of the soldiers and slashing through the other, though only causing a shallow injury. "They must be wearing some sort of exoskeleton that enhances their aptitudes!" She was able to mention before needing to focus all of her attention in the next set of attacks.

"Then we're in deep…!" Wada got cut off as an enemy's attack got too close for comfort.

After a while playing the cat and mouse game, somehow, the women were starting to adjust to their attackers' battle patterns. So much that a lucky swing from Wada's injured one of that soldiers severely enough that he was unable to avoid her pushing him off the cliff.

With renewed hope and the fact the other soldier attacked her on her back, the bulky woman entered a stated of barely controlled rage. Turning to face her opponent and starting to swing her large axe in all directions in a random pattern, the soldier had no choice but to step back to avoid it.

Meanwhile, Kiara was also besting her opponents, being able to injure them further to the point they were too slow to prevent her from landing, feet first, in one of their chests causing him to fall back on the ground. Kneeling over him and lowering her blades to his head, she moved them chopping his head clean off.

Shiny crimson fluid dripped from the tips of her weapons as she jumped back to her feet and prepared to show the other soldier the same courtesy.

At the same time, Lana was trying her best to hit the soldiers attacking her with her bullets, but, thus far, she had only managed a few flesh wounds. Their strange and rather annoying capability to dodge bullets was starting to graze on her nerves, so much she started contemplating the need to use _those_.

However, when Kiara was successful in killing one of them, the estharians must have perceived her as the biggest threat since the two attacking the commander fired a few rounds at her, grazing her shoulder in the process, andrushed to attack the dark skinned woman.

Kiara found herself, suddenly surrounded by three enhanced soldiers whose sole purpose was to dispose of her as quickly as possible. She was barely holding her own and already presented several deep cuts all over her body.

Lanara could only watch as her friend faced off with the three opponents, not risking using her gun in the possibility they could dodge her bullets and they'd hit Kiara instead. She narrowed her eyes as she retrieved a few blue oval objects with pins on an edge of them, from her back.

_I just need one opening…_

And that opening soon came as Kiara's attacks made on of the soldiers back up enough that she was barely able to jump over him and escape the death-trap they had encased her in.

_Now!_

Before the soldiers had time to regroup and surround her again, three little blue oval items fell from above and landed at their feet. As their minds registered what was happening, their reaction came to late as the frag-grenades blew, impaling them with shreds and, in addition, throwing two of them into the air and off the cliff as the thirdon was propelled and connected hard against the structure's outer wall, his body falling limp on the floor.

Lana smiled, still holding the three pins in her mouth, but her joy was short lived as the agonizing cry from her other companion reached her ears. She turned just in time to see the last surviving soldier cutting deep in the bulky woman's neck.

Wada collapsed with the blow, her weapon discarded as her hands went to her wounded throat, trying to stop the fluent blood loss as the estharian stood above her, raising his weapon for the final blow.

The **click** of a weapon halted his actions as the barrel of a gun contacted with his guarded forehead.

"Dodge this!" And Lana pulled the trigger, the soldier obviously unable to avoid it at such close range and falling lifeless on the ground.

With all soldiers finally vanquished, the galbadian squad was able to take a breather from their efforts. Kiara collapsed on the ground, exhausted as Lana knelt down on Wada's side.

"Damn!" Lanara cursed under her breath as she called upon a healing spell, closing the deep wound on the bulky woman's neck. Wada mumbled something as she regained consciousness, though still too weak to move from her spot.

"You're gonna be alright… We are gonna be alright…." Lana reassured them, and herself as her eyes fell on the ocean ahead of them. "See there? The ocean… We can escape to Galbadia!!"

"One would call it… being run down…" Kiara corrected, gaining a light glare from the commander.

The anger quickly subsided giving room to a sly smile. "Semantics, anyway… we need to get outta he…"

"Ggghh...rrrhhh..." The incomprehensible mumbles made both women turn to her friend.

"What… What'd you say, Wada?" Lana inquired as she approached the woman once more.

"The cut to her throat was severe… I think it might have been permanently damaged… She… she lost her voice." Kiara provided, having seen her injury and silently thanking Hyne that she survived such an ordeal.

Lanara inched closer to her friend's face, trying to make out any word she could be attempting to say.

"It... wa... fu... you..."

"Say again…!" Lana frowned as she couldn't quite understand it.

Trying to swallow dry, Wada started again with great difficulty. "It... was... fun... you... guys... La... nara... Ki... ara... It... was... fun..."

Her eyes widened as her message registered. "Wada, that's way uncool!" She snapped at her, forgetting for an instant her friend's serious injuries and hitting her in the shoulder. "It's not cool to say things like that! You ain't dying today!" She insisted as she neared the edge of the cliff, searching for any safe route down.

Looking down… way down, from her spot she saw the waves colliding heavily on the rocks and near them…

"HEY!!" She exclaimed as she turned to her companions. "It's a boat, a boat! There's a boat there, we're saved!" She told them excitedly.

"They're called… vessels…" Kiara corrected, remaining still on the ground and with her eyes closed as she recovered her strengths.

Lana narrowed her eyes as, even in that situation they never got off her back with semantic details. "Boat, vessel, whatever! It's our way home!"

Sneaking her way next to the dark skinned woman, she helped her up and guided/dragged her to the edge. Still having her eyes closed, Kiara didn't realise what she was doing till she felt herself pushed and falling. Her cry of surprise never reached the others.

Smiling as her body reached the waters _safely_, Lana turned and approached the bulky frame of her other friend.

"C'mon, Wada!" She whispered to her as she helped her walk to the edge of the cliff and, just as before, she pushed the larger woman off of it.

She looked down, seeing her splash in the waves.

"Well… I guess it's one way to get down there… but really, you ladies sure have guts. You know how high this cliff is…?!" She said with a smirk, turning around and planning to carefully and slowly climb down the slope.

However, fate played a trick on her as her second step down landed on some loose rocks…

"Oh...sh...!" She cursed as her foot slipped. "... No way..."

"AAAHHHHH!!" Her scream echoed throughout her fall as she descended… the fast way…

OOOOOOOOOO

_AN.:__ Hiya, people!! Here goes, chapter 18 and second Lanara dream… I hope you had as much fun reading as I have writing it XD._

_Hey, no complaints! I warned ya it was gonna be smaller than the previous ones... after all, this dream is rather short in the game too and I stretched it as long as I could ;P_

_Anyways… Next, on Twisted Fantasy… The arrival to Galbadia Garden and… finally the last member of the main cast appears… Female Irvine!! Can't wait to meet her? Well, I can't wait to write about her XD_

_Love and hugs for all of ya, and…_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	19. Chapter 19: Galbadia Garden

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own anything, nada, nickles, rien, batatóides, népias, zit, 0, zero, rei..._

**Chapter 19: Galbadia Garden**

Schala braced herself for the, undoubtedly hard collision with central coastal waters, after all, it was a pretty long fall. However, halfway down her forceful descent, she lost all sensation of falling.

She lost all sensation at all.

Mere moments of darkness and absolute silence followed before she could feel anything again. A soft breeze, the sound of rustling leaves, the soft grass beneath her and she flung her eyes open, sitting up and looking around.

_I'm back._ She thought as the last rays of sunlight illuminated the wide forest path she remembered crossing before her blackout. Looking over her side, she saw Sorphan and Quentin laying near her, still in deep slumber.

_Seems like, again, I wasn't the only one… _She wondered momentarily, but something was bothering her. If the three of them fell, where were the other two?

Only then did she notice the nearby battle sounds and she was up in a jump, turning around to the source of the commotion. Closer to the tree line, Zanya was fighting a couple of Geezards and one of those mushroom like creature from the first _Lanara-dream-experience_.

Schala checked her gear and junctions, preparing to assist her companion, but some rustling from the opposite direction made her whirl around, weapon up and ready to face off the newcomer.

Rian froze just a few feet away, the twigs he had been collecting for the campfire falling at his feet from his surprise. Realizing who it was, Schala relaxed a bit and immediately lowered Revolver as they stared at each other for a few seconds.

Relieved dark chocolate eyes locked on stoic dark blue.

"You're up…!" He stuttered, barely above a whisper and he promptly knelt down and started picking up the brushwood, lowering his head so that it hid his features.

Schala eyed him for a second before turning back in Zanya's, and the already extinct battle sounds', direction, seeing the blonde martial artist turn and whoop in joy at seeing her up and about. Quickly disposing of the monsters' remains, Zanya then rushed to their side.

Just as she rejoined the other teenagers, Schala detected movement from the sleeping SeeDs, some stirring and noted Sorphan's agitated sleep. An instance later, his eyes darted open and he all but jumped to his feet, spooking the hell outta Zanya that had, in that exact moment, hopped over the dead tree trunk and consequently, fell back to the floor.

"Woah!... Ouch!!" She let out accordingly.

"I'm alive! Oooww… I'm aching all over…" He said as he stumbled backwards, leaning against the trunk with Zanya standing up behind him.

"Are you alright?" Rian asked, finally composed and after almost dropping his cargo due to the brunet's outburst.

Sorphan's reply was cut off as Quentin suddenly awoke. Gasping for air, the instructor sat up in panic, his hands going for his uninjured throat. He breathed in relief as he verified the absence of the dreadful cut he had suffered in his strange dream.

"You ok, instructor?" It was Zanya's turn to ask as she rested a hand on his shoulder almost making the other blond jump.

Breathing deep and composing himself, he managed to relay a shaken smile and a tired "Yes".

The martial artist nodded and turned to face the squad leader.

"Was it Lana again?" She asked.

Schala crossed her arms, her gaze shifting to the ground in thought as she gave them a slight nod.

"Thought so…" Zanya commented.

"Those three are in BIG TROUBLE!" Sorphan added. "I hope they'll be alright…"

"Doesn't seem like the first time for you all." Quentin concluded, having heard them attentively. "What is this?"

"We don't really know…" Zanya admitted with a shrug.

"It happened once before, on the train from Balamb to Timber…" Sorphan continued.

All the while, Schala was lost in her thoughts. _If it was just me, I could tell the others it was only a crazy dream… _Her attention fell back to the others as they narrated their first incident to those who didn't experience it. Frowning at a particular moment of the galbadian soldiers' randomly idiotic activities, Schala turned to her companions.

"We'll just be wasting our time trying to figure it out…" she commented, catching their attention and interrupting their story-telling. "We should get going." _We've lost too much time already._ She added as an afterthought, wanting to get to Galbadia Garden, and possibly receive new orders, as soon as possible.

"That might not be the best course of action at this point." Quentin stated, once again gaining his fellow SeeDs' inquiring stares.

Only Rian seemed to have understood the instructor's meaning, after all it had been one of the reasons that led him to gather the firewood he had just set near the dead tree's trunk.

"It'll be nightfall soon." He pointed out.

"Indeed." Quentin added with a smile directed at the raven haired. "Crossing the forest and the plateau in the dark would prove too dangerous."

There were many concordant nods, none of the teens seemed interested in the prospect of facing monsters in the cover of night.

"And well, I don't know about you…" He continued, focusing his gaze on Sorphan for a second longer. "… but that strange dream event left me extremely tired…"

"Oh, right, me too!" Sorphan added, though none would say he looked more tired than usual.

Schala thought for a while. Truth was that what seemed to occur during those dreams had some lasting effects, and she did feel a bit worn out.

"Very well, we'll make camp." She confirmed it for the others, resisting a scowl as many whooped or cheered at the news.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun had already set and the sky was covered with stars by the time camp was officially set.

Nice semi-comfortable leaf beds, a warm campfire, the tall grass burned down in a circle around them and a watchful eye over any possible threat.

Schala was assigned the first shift, making sure the fire stayed lively and that no monster would disturb the others' rest. The remaining teens were just getting ready to go to sleep, them having spent most of the time talking about the first and latest Lanara & Co adventures. They even tried to drag some information from the brunette, mainly about the _quality_ time spent with the piano player…

Suffice it to say that, despite their insisting attempts, the squad leader remained as silent as a grave, obviously not wanting to remember such silly events.

As the camp grew silent, many falling into a deep calm slumber almost immediately, Rian approached Schala's watch point, merely sitting on the dead tree's trunk.

"May I join you?" He asked her as she acknowledged his presence with the slightest of nods.

"You should go to sleep, we leave early in the morning." Was her dry response, given without even sharing a glance.

Rian winced slightly at her tone but sat next to her all the same.

"It'll just be a minute… I didn't have time to say anything before…" he paused as her intense dark blue eyes stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

The dim starlight cast an unusual glow in the small clearing and Rian lost himself in the effect it made on Schala's beautiful features. For a moment, he even forgot what he was going to say.

An inquiring frown broke the spell, however not by much but enough that the raven haired recovered the ability to speak.

Clearing his throat, he averted his eyes, staring into the starry night and continued.

"I just wanted to apologise for my earlier outburst… well, _outbursts_." He paused, looking back at her but getting no reaction. "I was a bit out of line… but…" The words failed him as he closed his eyes.

He had thought about what he was going to say to her, but talking to the brunette SeeD was always so difficult. It was like talking to a wall…

"You're such a mystery to me…" He let out barely above a whisper.

This time the girl did react, a deeper frown formed on her face but the Owls' Boss stood up and walked away before she could say anything.

"Good night…" His voice reached her as he laid down on his improvised bed.

Schala nodded in reply, though it was obvious he couldn't possibly have seen it, keeping her gaze on the young man's laying frame for a second before returning to her duties, the strange events of the day replaying in her mind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Next stop… Timber! Next stop… Timber!"

The train's announcement echoed on the practically empty train halls. The two teenagers stood from their seats, gathering their belongings and getting ready to abandon the train.

As they were about to exit the modest cabin, the slim female reached into her jacket's inner pocket. Confirming the presence of their precious cargo, a closed envelope bearing the seal of Balamb Garden, the skinny albino woman and the bulky dark skinned man made to leave the transport an into the still empty streets of Timber.

The sun had yet to rise but the dawning day had already started to grow brighter and soon enough, the sun would shine above their heads, marking the start of a new day.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"It's time to get up!" Quentin's voice sounded inside the still half-sleeping teenagers' heads.

Quentin had had the last watch shift and it had befallen on to him to wake the rest of them as the day began to brighten. Easier said than done for some, however.

Zanya and Rian seemed to share their unwillingness for an early rise and as for Sorphan, his body stood up in a jump after the call, but his mind still seemed to be asleep. All the while, Schala had been up and about long before Quentin's wake up call, her having trouble completely relaxing in the unfamiliar and hostile environment.

After some agitated 15 minutes, where Zanya was the most difficult subject only fully awakening after a well positioned water spell, the five teenagers were finally ready to resume their trek towards Galbadia Garden.

They didn't take long crossing the forest, having no monster encounter worthy of notice and as the thick forestation started to dim, the brightness of the early morning sun reached them at its full.

When the teenagers' eyes adjusted, they could see a vast barren land of a reddish colour. They could also catch the reflection of the sun in some structure they were still too far away to make out. Whatever it was, it was massive.

_Is it Galbadia Garden?_ Some wondered, musings interrupted by the SeeD instructor's words.

"We're almost there, should only take a couple more hours."

With renewed energy at the sight of their destination, the teens proceeded across the plateau.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Welcome to Trabia!" The captain announced as his vessel docked on a small harbour town on the icy coast of the northern continent.

Barren in its most part, Trabia continent's land mass was covered by thick layers of snow, high foothills and mountains as well as animal, monster and plant life that had grown to resist the harsh cold environment. Also know by a considerate monster diversity, from Gaylas to Blue-Dragons, who made travelling through its lands a challenging undertaking.

"Thanks, for the ride as well." Said one of the few passengers that disembarked at that time, a short, slim woman with long fiery hair tied in a high ponytail. She wore a snow-camouflaged jacket and cargo pants, black boots and belt and carried a vast ensemble of varied fire arms.

With a court nod, a tall man with short white hair, a long dark blue coat and a long curve blade on his back, walked pass the captain and joined the other woman on the shore.

The captain watched the unusual pair walk away.

"Be careful out there!" He yelled out at them, catching their attention. "These lands aren't for the faint of heart!"

The woman turned and waved back at the man with a smile.

"No worries, we can handle ourselves!" She yelled back before turning around and resuming their way.

_We are SeeDs after all!_ She added in thought.

_SeeDs on a mission…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ninety minutes, two Belhelmels, five Blood Souls and eight Geezards later, the four SeeDs and Rian finally found themselves at the gates of the impressive Galbadia Garden.

The western facility was indeed massive, easily bigger than its Trabian counterpart and a bit larger than the Balambian one. This one resembled a giant red snake curled over itself, giving it an almost arena like shape.

As the teens entered the grounds they couldn't help but awe – well, most of them, at least – at the magnitude and beauty of its exterior. As they neared the main structure, the characteristic humming of machinery diverted their attention to the skies above them.

Hovering well over their heads, a small squad of hoverfoils seemed to be making drills, flying in a specific spiral pattern that brought them to land a minute later near the teens, who were greatly impressed with the new technologies the local Garden possessed.

"WOW!" Zanya, Sorphan and Rian let out as they stared at the apparatuses.

"Galbadia Garden is known for its technological expertise." Quentin started with his instructor tone. "There are several continuous contracts revolving around personnel and machinery too. The headmaster has even set up a program to recruit Garden graduates into the Galbadian Army." He informed.

Schala frowned at the mention of such a deal. It bothered her somewhat that others with the same, or similar training to hers would join the army that has caused her so many headaches.

"The training here is mostly based on fighting, tactical and technological, thought they receive appropriate lecturing on magic and GF usage, it's not something they invest much on… it was one of the reasons I transferred to Balamb Garden." The instructor continued as they entered the halls of the main building.

They passed through the reception gates looking around their surroundings. The decoration of the halls was based in golden, red and grey but the floor was of pristine marble. They hadn't seen any other cadet since the aerial display outside and the grounds were extremely silent.

"… Somewhat different…" Sorphan let out, his eyes examining every millimetre of his new surroundings.

"Sure is quiet." Zanya couldn't help but comment, her being used to more active environments.

"… I like it." Schala said simply gaining a barely contained chuckle from the raven-haired.

He figured that it would please her greatly such a quiet and calm ambience. Rian's musings halted as Quentin stepped ahead of them.

"We should report to the headmaster. I've been here before so maybe I should go, if nobody minds…" The blond said as he looked in Schala's eyes and saw no reprove. "… Do _try _and stay out of trouble while I'm gone…" He added looking at Sorphan and Zanya particularly, already anticipating their will to explore the grounds and knowing their knack to get into troubles.

"Right-o!" Sorphan replied with a wide smile that did nothing to reassure the older man.

After one last "_look over them_" look to Schala, Quentin waved back as he headed deeper within the Garden.

Just as he fell outta sight, the two SeeDs immediately turned to the rest of them.

"Let's check this place out!" They said in unison.

Schala almost flinched at their cheerfulness as Rian seemed to half-share their enthusiasm.

"Pass." She said coolly, walking ahead as they fell behind and entering the wide main hall area.

If Schala was impressed, she hid it well but truth was, Galbadia Garden's main hall was stunning.

It was a two storey wide circular area with four corridors on opposite sides and a bright column of light at its centre, light that reached the entire hall. The floors, walls and balconies were in the same way than the hall they entered through and the ceiling was of a mirrored glass, adding to the reflection of the main light.

In this area there was more movement than in the previous one as a few cadets crossed the hall. What Schala noticed the most, in addition to the difference in uniform, these were grey with red rims, was the orderly fashion they seemed to take as they walked, silent and completely different from the Balambian cadets, who were usually loud and random.

Some of said cadets looked at the newcomer with curiosity. She stood out, not only because she was standing in the entrance of the hall, but mostly because she was not in uniform and they were stricter here at Galbadia Garden. That fact usually caused outsiders and visitors to stand out like a Bomb in the Trabian snowfields.

"WOAH!!" The cries of amazement and awe were more than enough for Schala to know that the rest of them had just entered the main hall. If she was attracting attention before, the group and their callous reactions had all other occupants of the area openly stare at them.

"This place is great!" Zanya let out louder than Schala would have liked. "Let's go exploring!" She suggested looking at the others with hopeful eyes.

Sorphan was more than willing to join her, reinforcing her with his own begging eyes that Rian couldn't resist and smiled his accordance. Now the tough part would be convincing the squad leader, Schala even refused to look at them, fearing her inability to resist the other brunet's _puppy-dog-eyes_.

As she avoided their gaze, Schala noticed a young man that seemed to be heading towards them. He wore a uniform different from the others, a SeeD uniform, black with red and golden outlines, and had long brown hair tied over his left shoulder while some fell over the right side of his face.

He approached them with a smile on his face.

"Hello there, welcome to Galbadia Garden." He greeted as the others acknowledged their presence and turned to face him, replying with nods and inquisitive eyes.

"You're the Balambian SeeD party, right? I was asked to lead you to the reception room while you wait for updates." He clarified as he looked closely to each of the teens, his eyes staying with Zanya for a second longer, the obvious tomboy personality catching his attention.

"There you'll be able to rest from your long journey and perhaps eat something, if you want." He added.

"Food!?" Zanya whispered, though loud enough to gain a wider smile from the Galbadian SeeD.

_I could use some food._ She completed in thought, after all, they hadn't eaten anything substantial since the previous day. _A growing girl can't live on rations and potions alone!_

"How about a tour?" Sorphan asked, though the thought of filling his stomach was appealing, his urge to explore topped it.

Now Zanya was divided between eating and exploring. Luckily she needed not dwell much on it as Schala resolved the matter with a glare directed in all their general direction.

Turning around to their host, the brunette nodded their accordance to follow him up to said room.

"Ok, this way, please." He guided them across the hall and into the corridor in the opposite direction.

As they followed him in, most of them were looking around, trying to see the most of it on their short excursion. They noticed, once again, how orderly and quiet the cadets moved around the halls, noting as well, some doing push-ups on the corridors, under the close watch of their instructor.

The teens followed the SeeD up some staircase and into the second floor where he stopped in front of a simple metallic door.

"This is the reception room, if you'd please wait inside." He commented as he motioned for them to enter. "I'll arrange for some food to be brought in. There will be someone posted by the door, if there's anything you need don't be shy to ask." He added as they all entered the room.

"Thanks." Rain mentioned.

"No problem, enjoy your stay." He said finally before exiting the room, whose door closed behind him.

Left alone, the teens spread across the room making themselves comfortable. Rian and Sorphan sat on the comfortable couches as Zanya paced around, murmuring something about "food not here yet", and Schala remained standing and aware, simply leaning against a cupboard.

Soon enough, the door opened and a young cadet entered carrying a large plate with some sandwiches and cakes, along with a jar of water and some cups. The dark-skinned, dark-purple-haired girl set the trey on the small coffee table between sofas and left quickly with a shy smile and bow, closing the door behind her.

Hungry and tired, Rian and the SeeDs – minus Schala – dug in.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Looks like we're here, ya know?" A strong, bulky dark-skinned young man said outloud to the petite albino woman beside him, staring at the marvellous _red-snake_ Garden.

The woman didn't reply, she merely started walking towards the western facility's entrance at a fastened pace.

"Hey, Fuu, hold up… ya know?" Raijin hailed, following her in.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"How long are they gonna make us wait…?" Zanya let out, for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

Once the food was gone, there was nothing else to occupy the minds of the teens and they were getting restless. They had been in that room for almost an hour and there had been no news whatsoever.

Suddenly, the door buzzed open and Quentin entered the room, his face unreadable but not in a particularly bad way.

The SeeDs tensed over the prospect of getting some new intel. A lot could have happened in the day they were incommunicado.

"How'd it go?" Schala voiced what the rest of them were thinking.

"Well… they understood our situation." He started as he neared and sat in the sofa.

"What about Balamb Garden?" Zanya asked in anticipation.

"Yes, Balamb Garden is safe." He said, gaining quite a few relieved sighs.

"The galbadian government has send out a communicate… they said that the perpetrators of the attack on the president have been dealt with and that the investigation is now closed." He continued, regaining their attention. "They also mentioned no prisoners were taken…"

The room fell silent as the news sunk in, all of them thinking on the possible implications of such words.

"What does that mean regarding your friend, Seifer? He was taken, yet they said…" Rian wondered, echoing many of the others' thoughts.

Schala remained silent and averted her gaze to the floor, lost in the depths of her own thoughts.

"Well… there are a few possibilities…" Quentin started.

"Whatever happened, if they didn't retaliate against Garden, it's because Seifer didn't talk! Right?" Sorphan concluded to some degree of logic.

Not exactly on the attack on the president, that was an exterior contract, but the earlier mission of the two blond SeeDs in Deling would un-doubtfully trace back to Balamb Garden. If there was no according action and knowing the President's _m.o._, it was most likely they hadn't learned of it.

_Either that or they are postponing their attack, probably to prepare…_ Quentin thought and wisely decided to keep such thoughts to himself, though he could think of another person who could reach the same conclusion.

He spared Schala a glance and saw what he expected to see. She was still standing, looking over at nothing in particular while drowning in her own thoughts and with no intention of sharing them.

Looking around the room, he saw mixed reactions. Zanya seemed to be more relieved than anything, the safety of her second home, Balamb Garden, meaning a lot to the blonde martial artist. Even so, the instructor could detect a certain degree of worry in her pose.

"Is there a chance he's still alive?" Sorphan suddenly asked gaining surprised stares from the remaining occupants of the room.

To all of them, the tall brunet always seemed jolly and good humoured, optimistic and carefree, however that was not the case this time. His face had a concerned frown as he was well aware of the present situation.

Quentin sighed, he figured there'd be no way to avoid the subject forever.

"Though possible, I very much doubt it…" He commented, raising his head and eyes to the rest of them. "They said they took no prisoners which might imply he was already dead by the time the statement went public." He breathed deeply before continuing. "He most likely died as they were trying to drag information out of him." He spared Schala another glance, but the girl hadn't moved a millimeter.

Once again the room fell dead silent, them now sharing the belief that Seifer was indeed, dead…

"I didn't know him…" Rian started, all of the others, though listening, didn't altered their positions. "… but it seemed he was trying to help. It is unfortunate, I'm sorry for your loss…" He added for no one in particular.

"I never liked the guy…" Zanya commented with her hand closed in a fist. "He was arrogant, cocky, rude, an unimaginable asshole… and a great fighter! He was one of us…" She closed her eyes and started trembling slightly.

The others were surprised, Zanya didn't seemed the type to cry over something like this.

"That… bastard…!" She let out, not in sadness or sorrow but in anger.

Now that was more like her.

"Yes, one of us…" It was Sorphan's time now. "Though he acted up, during the exam he could have left us behind but he didn't, he stayed with us and helped us escape safely… I didn't know him very well, but he seemed like an ok guy…"

"He was a constant pain…" Quentin commented, his mind travelling back to all the tug-a-wars he had with him… there were more than he could count. "Always going on by himself, always insubordinate…" He sighed, looking up. "I've seen some troubled youths, but he was beyond troubled… and he never allowed anyone to help him, even if they wanted to… He wasn't all that bad, though…"

Thought apparently locked away in her own little world, Schala heard every word said. _He was this and that, you're talking as if he's dead…_The random thought ran through her mind.

_**You said it yourself, it'd be best if he was dead, didn't you?**_ Schala knew the Ice Goddess was correct, though she'd struggle to admit it. _That doesn't mean I want him dead, though…_ She replied.

The brunette had been restless for a while now, actually ever since the TV station incident, ever since Seifer had been taken by the sorceress to an unknown fate. And even though she did say it was better for everyone – including him – that he was dead, something inside her refused to accept that possibility. Refused to believe he was dead, though failed to present an alternative.

Mentally shaking her thoughts, Schala suddenly realised the room was silent. She turned her head slowly, facing the others. Any other one would have reacted in surprise, but she disguised her astonishment well as she saw that the four teens had their eyes locked on her.

_What?_ She wondered, frowning slightly. _What do they want?_

They were looking at her intently, expectantly as if waiting for something.

_Are you serious?_ She wondered as realisation struck. Were they actually expecting her to say something, to add to the memorial they decided to perform when she didn't even acknowledged to herself that the man was dead?

Despite her disbelief, the eyes didn't falter as they kept their stares. She felt like she was being pushed into a corner, though she didn't move and they were away from her. She felt pressured by their demanding look.

_What do you want from me?!_ She almost let out, screaming in her mind. Their pressure was getting to her, making her nervous as she did back up a step, shaking her head in denial of their silent, accusatory request.

"Schala?" Rian called out, seeing her uncomfortable and making to rise from his seat.

That only made it worse as she backed away completely against the wall, starting to move sideways towards the only way out of the suffocating room.

"Schala?!" Sorphan and Zanya wondered, noting her strange behaviour

"No!" She suddenly yelled out, all but running to the door. _I need some air…_

"Schala, what's wrong?" Rian asked but she was already halfway out the room.

He made to follow her out but Quentin's words stopped him.

"Let her go." Everyone looked at the tranquil seated instructor. "She needs to be alone right now to organize her thoughts." He said calmly, filling a glass of water from the jar on the table. "It's best we leave her be."

Though not fully understanding what he meant, Rian nodded and returned to his seat after one last glance at the closed door.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala ran out of the room, barely hearing or completely ignoring the words of the cadet stationed by the reception room that asked her to stop.

She ran across the hall and down the stairs, stopping as she reached the first floor and leaning against the wall trying to focus her mind. Her thoughts seemed to have been struck by a tsunami and were swirling all over the place. She couldn't function like that, she had to calm down and relax, and she couldn't do it back there.

After a few deep breaths she seemed to have regained her composure, though it was being secured by a thin line. It would have to do for the time being. She sighed and almost chuckled as she remembered the last seconds spent within that room. She totally lost it and that was so unlike her. _What is happening to me?_

Absentmindedly, she resumed walking, not back at the room, but towards the main hall, for some reason. Maybe her subconscious still needed some air and she was heading towards the entrance to get a hold of some.

"Yo! Schala!"

The familiar voice made her stop and turn, noting in the back of her mind that she was already in the main hall and running at her, from the way she had just come from as well, were two very familiar people.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her mind threatening to break but holding its own.

"What am I doin'? I'm a messenger, ya know?" Raijin explained once he and Fujin caught up with her, the albino woman seemingly probing her with her one eye. "Brought head honcho here an urgent message from Headmaster Cid, ya know?"

_Message…_ "What kind of message?" Schala inquired, gaining a surprised look from Raijin and a suspicious one from his companion.

It wasn't customary for her to question orders.

"I dunno." He answered with a shrug. "I was just told it was top priority and I had to deliver it to Galbadia Garden's headmaster as quickly as possible, ya know?"

Schala pondered his words, wondering what the contents of such an urgent message could be and if it could have anything to do with the president's announcement and their mishap in Timber.

Fujin eyed her carefully and then she turned to Raijin, elbowing him. Once he turned to her, suppressing a pained yelp, she made a signal, pointing at the brunette. It was a scarce movement but it seemed to get the message through.

"Hey, Schala! We know that Seifer came near these parts on a mission and we haven't heard anything from him in a few days, ya know?"

The moment she heard his name the barriers in her mind started to crumble and for a second she thought she's loose herself in her thoughts again, but she fought against it and managed to hold on, turning to face the two members of Seifer's _pose. _

_I suppose they should know…_

"WHERE?" Fujin spoke in her harsh, one worded speech, after her taking so long to answer and realising she knew something.

"Yeah, ya have any idea where he's at, ya know?" Raijin reinforced.

Schala closed her eyes, choosing her words.

"Seifer showed up in Timber while we were in our mission…" They waited for her to continue. Taking a breath, she did. "We confronted the sorceress but were unable to stop her…" They grew impatient, wanting to know what happened but not interrupting her. "Seifer was captured… and is _presumably_ dead…"

She said those words though not believing in them entirely. Something deep inside of her kept telling her it wasn't true, that he was still alive but she couldn't ignore the evidence that lead to such a conclusion.

Their shocked expressions were indescribable, even the normally stoic Fujin was obviously surprised. Surprise that soon turned to anger.

"LIES!" She yelled, snapping Raijin out of his shock.

"Yeah, that's gotta be a lie, ya know!?" He burst out. "There's no way he'd get captured that easily, ya know!?"

"But I saw…" She tried to reason with them, she herself not sure why. After all wasn't she the one that believed he was still alive? Maybe she was just trying to convince herself that he might be dead.

"And even if he was captured, no way he'd die just like that, ya know!?" He continued, not listening or not wanting to listen to her.

"FIND!" Fujin shouted, motioning to Raijin to leave.

"Right, we're gonna head off to Galbadia to look for Seifer!" He stated, making ready to follow Fujin's lead.

"You'll do no such thing!" Another familiar voice sounded behind them making them turn around to face him.

"Instructor Trepe!?" Raijin exclaimed looking at Quentin's serious _"Don't even think about disobeying me!"_ look.

"You will _NOT_ go searching for Seifer, whatever his fate!" He added, keeping his _look_ on the two teens.

Raijin was still a bit shook up, indecisive on what to do while Fujin was giving the instructor a glare that could rival with one of Schala's.

"You'll return to Garden immediately, and give Headmaster Cid this written report. You'll depart this instance and make no detours, is that understood?" He ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Still, Raijin was unsure on what to do, turning to his companion for reassurance. Fujin was still glaring at him, what drew no reaction out of the instructor, him already used to similar ones from Schala, but resigned herself to the fact there was no escape from the current situation.

"FINE!" She yelled, taking the sealed envelope from the blond's hands and turning to leave.

"See ya around, ya know!?" Raijin waved at them, rushing to catch up to his friend. "Hey, Fuu, wait up… you know?"

"Those two…" Quentin sighed, shaking his head. Suddenly remembering what had brought him there, he turned to Schala. "I was looking for you. We are to assemble in the front gate."

Schala gave them an inquiring look.

"We're receiving new orders."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Let's just wait here. The head should be coming with the orders soon." Quentin said as they had been waiting for almost half an hour and, mostly Zanya and Sorphan were growing impatient.

"He's pretty late." Sorphan commented as Zanya just grunted as she paced.

Schala hadn't said anything to them since her bust out of the room and neither of them had mentioned anything about that, probably deciding it was best to just forget about it. But some of them couldn't just forget, Rian had leaned against the wall next to Schala and even though he didn't say anything, he wanted to.

The others knew more about her relationship with that Seifer guy, that's a fact, but they didn't disclose anything to him either, and his – sometimes overactive – imagination was coming up with the strangest possibilities. He wanted to know, not guess.

His thoughts were interrupted as a car approached coming from within Garden and the two leaned off the wall as the others stopped their pacing and all stood in line.

"Remember, Rian, you're with us, a SeeD from Balamb. Just play along and do what we do, ok?" Quentin instructed.

They had talked about it while they waited for the representative to come deliver their orders, it would be less complicated if Rian was just one of them instead of a client.

"Right!" Rian nodded, looking attentively to the SeeDs' behaviour so that he could mimic every move.

The fancy looking automobile stopped a few metres away from the SeeDs and a man in SeeD uniform exited from the front, right door. Circling around the car, he stood by the left back door and opened it, bowing and keeping his hand up for whoever was inside.

A delicate hand got hold of the man's and in a graceful fashion, a woman got out of the car. She had a light complexion and long dark blonde hair arranged in a bun. She wore an exquisite light brown gown that glided gracefully around her slim form, highlighted by pale cream details such as the silken thread that surrounded her waist and the equally soft bodice covering her chest.

She walked slowly but steadily, waving a small decorated fan as she approached the teens and started probing them with her bright green eyes. She skipped Zanya all together, preferring to focus her stare on Quentin, Sorphan and Rian, though she did send an extra glance in Schala's way.

The SeeDs stood in attention despite the little awkwardness they felt, with Rian falling a bit behind but covering for it nicely enough.

"At ease." Her soft voice instructed them and they relaxed their pose, Rian once again reacting off tune, but the woman didn't seem to notice.

"Good day." She added, her voice carrying a sort of melodic tone to it. "I am Mistress Martine, Head and Garden Master of Galbadia Garden." She introduced herself giving them a gracious bow they didn't quite know how to react to.

Ignoring their confused expressions, Headmistress Martine continued.

"I have official orders for you to carry out." She said, her tone suddenly changing to a commanding one. "As some of you might have learned, I have received a message from Headmaster Cid referring, among other things, the current situation and possible threat to both our facilities."

She paused momentarily. "He has informed me, as I well enough know, about the sorceress's appointment as ambassador for the Galbadian government and how it is just a cover up with the sole purpose of causing fear among the masses and future world domination." Her gaze skipped from SeeD to SeeD.

"I cannot stress you enough the importance of them not achieving their plans." She added. "It may be known to them that SeeD and Garden may try and stand on their way, so our window of opportunity is closing rapidly and action must be taken NOW!"

All teens had their eyes on the headmistress, absorbing her every word.

"Actually, we too, have been planning for this for quite some time now. And now, with the support Headmaster Cid has provided, and your aid, we will be able to undertake this mission."

She approached Schala, removing a closed envelope out of seemingly nowhere, and handed it over to her.

"These are the official orders and details for the mission." She informed her, stepping back to her earlier position as Schala opened and read the instructions.

"You are to go to Deling city and report to our ally, there you will briefed in the exact procedure." Seeing the squad leader had read the orders and carried a wondering frown, she inquired. "Any questions?"

"The orders say 'by means of a sniper'… we have no one with that skill in our party." Schala mentioned, folding the papers and pocketing them.

The headmistress smiled, stepping slightly to the side and giving all of them a line of sight to the car still parked behind her.

"I have anticipated that fact and have arranged for our best sharpshooter to accompany you on this most important mission." She mentioned, turning towards the car. "Kinneas!"

The same SeeD from before opened the door once more and laid down his hand for the passenger. A new hand supported itself on the young man's hand and out of the car came a totally different woman from before.

She had short dark red hair, with a cut that made it longer in the front than it the back, her longer strands reaching just below her shoulders and sharp blue eyes. She wore a tight, dark brown short leather vest, a tiny red low waist mini (MINI) skirt with a dark brown leather belt, some cowgirl high heels red leather boots and a long sand coloured coat with short fur lined collar and cuffs. She had a set of pink and red earrings on each ear and a simple loose light blue and brown necklace and in her brown leather, fingerless gloved hands she carried a powerful looking shotgun.

She walked, seductively like, towards them, her eyes travelling and staying with each one of them as if examining them.

The teens were also looking at her closely, thinking on how such a woman could add to their party. By far, the most impressed by this new addition to the group, was Sorphan, a strange and distant sense of familiarity invading him at the sight of her. _She's very pretty…_

Reaching the headmistress's side, the woman's eyes didn't waver from the rest of them.

"This is Inara Kinneas, the best sniper and sharpshooter ever trained in this academy. She will get her job done."

"Yo!" Inara greeted them, raising her hand in simple, non-SeeD salute.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You do understand the importance of this mission, Inara? No matter what, no matter the cost, you have to be successful! The fate of this Garden and of the world depends on it!" Headmistress Martine stressed during their car ride, going to meet the Balambian SeeDs.

"Yes, ma'am!" She confirmed it, leaning back in her seat.

"We're here, mistress." The driver said as the SeeD next to him exited the car to open the door for her.

"Take it seriously, Inara, our fate rests in your shoulders!" She added as she left the car and approached the SeeDs for their briefing.

"Geez… no pressure, huh?" She let out, hanging her head back and waiting for her cue.

After a good ten minutes, there was still no signal. _She does bask in the sound of her own voice, doesn't she?_

"Kinneas!" The call interrupted her thoughts as she sat straighter on the car seat as the door of the car opened.

_Show time!_

Inara exited the car in all pomp and style, walking in her usual way towards the headmistress and the Balambian SeeDs. She was still a bit far but her sharp sight was able to clearly identify the features of the young men and women standing in line a ways ahead of her.

_No way!_

But, yes way, it was them. It took all her self control to prevent her from smiling wide and run to hug her long lost friends. She had never expected to see any of them again, tough she had hoped and dreamed it several times, less alone being reunited with all, or at least, most of them all at once.

It was a dream come true.

Her eyes travelled from one to the other as the memories of their past lives contrasted with the new ones.

_Zanya, still the tomboy…_ She thought upon seeing the blonde's pose and clothes, practical and unappealing. _Love the tattoo, though…_

_Sorphan, oh my!! You grew!_ Her mind travelled back to a time where she was taller than the now giant brunet, went back to their games and playful lives. They were inseparable back then. _And you're so handsome now…_

_Quentin, always the gentleman…_ She almost smiled as she remembered, Quentin was always the most responsible of them, being a year older, he made to watch over them even when they didn't need to or wanted. _The long hair suits you…_

_Schala! Wow!!_ She almost gaped at the sight of the quiet and un-playful child in daring black leather, though it looked great on her. _You look hot!_

Her eyes finally fell on Rian._ Don't know you… but you're hot too…_ She thought with a mental smile, wondering who he was.

She had reached the others, but the headmistress's words were being muffled by her thoughts.

_You've changed and grown so much but you're still the same…_ She looked at each of them intently and her happiness winced as realization struck.

_They don't remember me…_

Her heart saddened but she wasn't going to leave it at that. After all, against all odds they were back together again, she was not one to let the opportunity slide through her fingers.

_I'll make you remember… I promise!_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You may leave when you're ready." Headmistress Martine continued. "Failure is not an option!" She finished, causing the SeeDs to salute, even Inara turned to the retreating form of the headmistress, raising her hand.

With one last wave, the woman entered the car and seconds later it drove off, making a U-turn and returning inside the Garden.

The SeeDs relaxed their pose as Inara broke the salute with a mock wave at the fast disappearing vehicle. She then turned to the others with a smile on her face.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you rubes from Balamb." She commented both to tease them and as a minor payback for them not remembering her. "Yo." She repeated her mock salute.

Zanya began to twitch and tremble slightly, the Galbadian's attitude rubbing her the wrong way.

Schala looked at both women and felt a headache starting to form. _Perfect…_ She wondered as the red headed stepped in front of her.

"You ok with me helping out?" She asked.

"That depends on you attitude." She answered immediately and to the point.

_Well, __good to see some things didn't change!_ Thought Inara, suppressing a smile.

"I tend to say things that can get a rise out of some people." She said in all truth, leaving out the little detail that most, if not all the times she did that, it was intentional. "Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine." She added with a smile that seemed to innervate the blonde martial artist further.

Frowning at that, Schala nodded while thinking _I should keep her away from Zanya…_

"I'll remember that." She replied, gaining a wink from the red head.

"What's our mission?" Quentin asked, voicing the question echoing in all their heads as they had circled around the squad leader for details.

"Our next mission…" She started, unintentionally enhancing her companions' anticipation. "… is no ordinary mission. It's a joint effort from both Galbadia and Balamb Garden. We're to…" She paused again causing some of them to start fidgeting. "… assassinate the sorceress."

There were wide eyes all over the teens' faces, except Schala, of course, Inara that, unknowing to them already knew the specifications of the plan and then some, and Quentin, who had concluded as much.

This was not an ordinary mission indeed. The outcome could easily change their lives…

… and the world…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: __**... Author is not home at the moment... but there's a note on her desk...**_

_"Dear readers_

_First of all let me apologize for the delay... I'm terribly sorry! School is tha evil and exam season is being murder on my free time and I must confess, I was only able to write this by disregarding my studies for a few hours... but don't tell anyone..._

_Second, I won't be around the house for a couple a days in fear of explosive e-mails (PS.: My sister will be opening my mails for the next week, I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill her...), but I'll be updated hourly, so no worries, your messages will reach me :)_

_Ok, on with the soul of this message... Hiya, I hope you liked the chapter, and that Inara hasn't disappointed anyone... Well, her stage time has been short in this one, but there'll be a lot of Inara in the next chapters XD._

_Next, on Twisted Fantasy, the mission is underway, after a little detour... stay tuned as the SeeDs embark in some Tomb Raiding... ;P And don't worry, I won't take so long for the next one, my last exam will be on the 23rd and after that I'M FREE!! And don't worry, I won't go on holidays and leave ya hanging... I only have vacations for 10 days in September so..._

_Anyway, many hugs and kisses to you all, keep up the reading XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir"_

_**And that's the end of the letter...**_


	20. Chapter 20: Tomb Raiding

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII nor any of the Tomb Raider games... but they totally rock!_

**Chapter 20 – Tomb Raiding**

"Assassinate the sorceress!?" Was the cry of amazement of most of the youngsters.

Frowning but somewhat expecting their reaction, Schala replied with a simple nod of confirmation.

The SeeDs, mostly Zanya and Sorphan, along with Rian were slightly taken back, them having witnessed first hand the power of the person in question. The person they were to set out to kill...

"How exactly are we supposed to pull that off?" Sorphan asked, voicing the other's thoughts.

"When we get to Deling we're to meet our contact there, a congressman Caraway, he'll give us the details of the mission. But the main objective is to shoot her from afar, having Kinneas as our sharpshooter." Schala informed causing all eyes to focus on the most recent member of their group that raised her hand in salute.

"Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head on." She completed, making the designated gunwoman to wince visibly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" She mentioned with a fake hurt expression, discarded as she stepped closer to the squad leader. "… but I never miss my target." She added making a gun with her hand and pointing at her.

After a moment of silence in which all eyes were locked on the two women, Inara lowered her hand with a smirk and stepped back.

All eyes except for one's. Rian had drowned out the most of the conversation after two specific words reached his ears. _Congressman Caraway_… Those words bringing all sort of bad and painful memories to the raven-haired's mind. As Schala continued her explanations, he couldn't help but raise his eyes to the clear mid-morning sky. _Seems I can't get away from you forever, can I… mother…?_ He thought closing his eyes for a moment.

"Let's get going, then."

Schala's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and made him focus on the present again, seeing the SeeDs preparing to leave the grounds.

"Ok!" Inara suddenly said, cutting ahead and standing in front of the rest of them. "There's a train station nearby that will lead us to Deling. We'll need to choose a party for the trip there, a large group may attract unwanted attention…" She commented, which had some degree of logic.

"Hmm… who to choose, who to choose…" She wondered outloud, her eyes travelling from one face to the other, disregarding Zanya all together as she focused on the boys and even Schala.

Disliking, among other things, the way she was looking at her, Schala shook her head at the other woman, stepping up to her position.

"At this point, we're going together." She said without a hint of hesitation or concern… or any emotion at all. "When and if the time comes, I'll decide on the teams." She added sending her a _"Is that understood?"_ look.

Whether she wanted to or not, Schala was the leader of this squad and all decisions regarding it were hers to make and no one else's.

"Yes, ma'am!" Inara saluted, with a slight mocking tone, Schala seemed to ignore, but no hint of resentment.

_She sure has changed… so sure of herself…_ She randomly thought, a smile creeping up in her features. _She used to be so shy…_

Unknowing of her thoughts, Schala turned to the others, giving them a "_Let's move out" _sign and all motioned to follow her lead. As Zanya passed by Inara, she was unable to hide the wide smirk on her face, happy that the newcomer was put in her place.

Taking her up on the challenge, and just to plainly mess around with her, Inara rushed forward, passing by her and inserting herself between Rian and Sorphan, that were walking side by side, and grabbing one of each's arms, holding them close. Both men were unable to react to her swiftness and were equally unable to detach themselves from the shorter woman's strong grip.

Zanya was fuming, especially when the red-head half turned to send back to her a mocking smirk.

As the martial artist trembled in anger, the blond instructor sighed, shaking his head and the same thought passed by his and Schala's mind…

… _It's gonna be a long mission…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was a long half an hour they took to reach the train station in the middle of the barren Galbadian wastelands. Longer still, considering the constant bickering between the blonde martial artist and the red-headed sharpshooter. Inara didn't seemed at all too bothered, she actually seemed amused by the way it was so easy to rattle her cage, though Zanya didn't share her amusement… as in, at all.

Climbing up the steps of the station, Inara fell a bit behind, engaging in mild conversation with a few Galbadian cadets and SeeDs standing by the railings as Schala went to buy their tickets.

"The train will depart for Deling City in fifteen minutes." The typical monotonous tone sounded throughout the station.

Tickets bought, Inara soon joined up with them.

"Let's go, then." She said with a smile and all boarded the train.

Schala entered the small entrance hall and, before any of the others did so and without anyone reminding her of, she walked to the scanner and passed their tickets through, unlocking the access to the rest of the train. The other teens soon followed inside, Sorphan heading straight for the door.

However, unlike before, the door opened immediately causing the young man to turn and face the brunette.

"Hey! You're catching on!" He commented with a smile before passing through the door and into the hall.

The train shuttered and started moving soon after that, with the remaining SeeDs and Rian spread somewhat around the room. From all of them, Inara was the one that seemed more pensive, Schala hearing her mutter something about _choosing_.

"Hey, can we check out the SeeD compartment? This train should have one too, right?" Zanya suddenly remembered, pointing it out.

"Well… it's an about four hour trip. I suppose we'd be more comfortable there than in here…" Quentin commented, looking around the cramped entrance area of the train.

Receiving concordant nods and looks from some of the others, the instructor headed for the door, sparing one look at the leader.

"Are you coming, Schala?" He asked before stepping into the hall.

She raised her eyes at him, her having previously leaned against the wall. Usually she'd ignore the rest of them and would be more than happy to just stay there alone for the entire trip.

"In a minute." She said despite her original intentions. For some reason, she didn't want to stay alone with her thoughts at that time.

Nodding and failing to hide a small knowing smile, Quentin exited the small room, following Zanya that had gone ahead and followed by Rian who fell behind to hear the brunette's response.

The door closed behind them leaving only Schala and Inara in the small compartment. The sharpshooter was being awfully quiet, so much Schala didn't even realised she was still in the room till she stepped forward towards the door.

It _whooshed_ open but the red-headed didn't passed through it immediately, remaining by the door frame so that it stayed open, giving her a view of the hall and the tall brunet leaning on the railings, watching the mountain scenery pass them by.

"Hmm… perhaps it's fate…" She let out barely above a whisper as she passed the threshold, the door closing behind her.

_Fate…_ Schala wondered. She didn't particularly believe in fate, she thought. She found it disturbing that she was not in control of her actions, that some pre-determined path was already laid before her and she could do nothing but walk it. That someone was writing her life before she lived it.

Shaking her head and her thoughts, she leaned off the wall and decided to join the others. At least listening to their babbles would prevent her from thinking too much…

Walking into the hall she was forced to halt at what she saw.

"Oh, Sorphan dear… we were meant to be… united by fate…"

Inara was quite literally hanging on Sorphan's arm, squeezing it as she leaned her head on his shoulder, staring at the passing landscape with dreamy eyes. Looking over to the object of her attentions, Schala had never seen the other brunet so tense. He was straighter that a surfing board and refused to make eye contact with Inara, staring blankly ahead.

"…R-Right…" He let out uneasily, unsure of what to say, how to react to her imposing and pushy behaviour. He wasn't used to this sort of women.

She leaned over him further, standing on her toes, which didn't alter her height by much since she was wearing heels.

"… Destiny brought us together…" She whispered in his ear, or as close to it that she could reach, causing the brunet to tense even further. And then she leaned off him and stepped back. "Remember that." She added before turning and walking near Schala.

She gave her a smile and a wink and stepped into the SeeD cabin, where the others were already making themselves comfortable.

Schala stepped forward eying the still frozen brunet and was about to turn and follow the other woman inside when she heard a loud sigh and looked back at Sorphan. The tall young man was now leaning over the railing, his face millimetres away from the glass, the colours of the passing scenery reflecting on his face.

"Fate… destiny…" He murmured to himself. "… Is it really that simple…?" He wondered before breathing deeply.

Schala frowned. There was that word again… _Fate_… Her thoughts were interrupted when he started humming that same familiar tune she had grown accustomed to associate with 'Sorphan on a train'.

Resisting a sigh, she entered the SeeD compartment and froze as the door _whooshed_ closed.

"Rian!" Inara squealed as she ran over to the raven haired young man that was completely at a loss on how to react.

Reaching him, she leaped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck so that she was a few millimetres off the ground.

Rian was unsure if he should shake her off or push her away, he only knew that he didn't want to be seen like that by… _Oh no…!_ He thought as he noticed Schala was already inside the room and looking straight at them.

Chocolate brown eyes locked on stormy blue for what felt like the longest time. Rian was stunned, by the situation he was caught in which was absolutely NOT his fault, and the deep frown that he caught on the brunette's face. _Was it really there…?_ He wondered as the girl looked away, either to hide her reaction or disregarding the situation, he could not be sure, but truth was Rian felt that a tiny sparkle of light had appeared at the end of the tunnel.

"Inara Kinneas!" It was Quentin's outraged voice that echoed in the room, him having stood from his earlier sitting position and looking at her with one of his most stern expressions. "Behave yourself! We are in the middle of a mission of the utmost importance, this is no time to act foolish."

Schala and Zanya had only seen the instructor that upset with Seifer before. He was really bothered both by the mission and the sharpshooter's behaviour.

"You're a SeeD, act like it!" He finished and the rest of the room fell dead silent.

Inara was serious, sliding down as she released her hands from the other man's neck and stood on the floor, her look serious but otherwise, emotionless.

As all the occupants of the room were facing the matter as settled, Inara moved slowly across the room, speaking softly and quietly, her tone between hurtful and overly dramatic.

"No one understands me…" She spoke lowly. "You can't understand how lonely the life of a sharpshooter can be… You!" She said a bit louder, turning and facing each of the other teens. "You, that walk the battlefield together, that face the battle head on… it's not like that for me…"

She continued under the, both surprised and awkward eyes of her new companions. She still paced around the room, like an actor in a monologue, speaking from the bottom of her soul…

"I stand alone on that hill…" She said, pointing up at nothing in particular. "Seeing the world through a gun-sight, I walk alone… every step I take, I walk alone…" She continued, over dramatically in her pacing.

"And then, now…" She paused, closing her eyes like this was a more sensitive subject. "… I have all of you with me… supporting me… I'm not alone anymore…"

Inara lowered her head, hiding her face with her hair and, unknowingly to the bewildered teens, she was trying hard to suppress a laugh. _Though it is kinda true…_ She added in thought… _I have been alone as you have been together, my old friends… even if you can't remember the past, at least you still had each other._

An authentic tear of sadness threatened to escape the corner of her eye but she forced it back, refusing to let it fall.

"I have never had someone to lean on, so please… don't shut me out and allow me to follow my own path next to you…" She said, holding her hands together as in request and looking up to them again.

The expressions around the room differed. Schala was her normal expressionless self, but Rian and Zanya were somewhat touched by her seemingly heartfelt words, the latter forgetting her dislike for the woman for a moment, as for Quentin, he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Seeing favourable faces, she perked up and raised her hand in her usual mock salute.

"Okay?" She added with a smile that completely contradicted her previous demeanour.

With that, it became obvious that they were completely fooled by her acting, Rian letting a small smile slip as Quentin shook his head, amazed at the woman's lack of sobriety. Schala didn't react, it almost looked like she hadn't paid attention to one word the red-head said as Zanya, that took a second longer to realise that the Galbadian sharpshooter had made a fool out of her… again, trembled in anger from her standing position.

As Inara remained in the middle of the room, sporting a rather disturbing mocking angelic expression, Zanya, to release some of her rage, launched her hand to the side, slamming her fist on the compartments wall.

As a result, the carriage jerked noticeably, shaking considerably and a couple of seconds later a message echoed throughout the train.

"Err, there was no damage to the train from that… err, _minor_ vibration…" The monotonous voice informed.

"I repeat… There was no damage to the train from that _minor_ vibration…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The two teenagers reached Timber, once again, and got ready to depart immediately, this time back to Balamb Garden.

As Raijin stepped aside to purchase the tickets, since the city was back to its usual self, Fujin remained at the bottom of the stairs, fuming still at what had happened that day.

The news of Seifer's capture and possible death, the inability to find out the truth, to go after him… She felt frustrated but most of all, she felt mad. Although there were a lot of targets of her rage, the main one at the moment, the one she pictured herself beating the hell up, was Quentin.

Because of him and his orders to return to Garden, all chances of going looking for their friend had vanished like a small ice cube in the Fire Cavern.

She sighed, that was turning out to be a frustrating day…

"Hey, Fu, I got the tickets!" Raijin hailed as he ran back to the side of the petite albino woman. "But the train only leaves in an hour, ya know!?" He added as the woman started walking away, up the stairs leading to their boarding platform.

She intended to stand there till the train arrived, Raijin knew. She had been troubled the whole trip back from Galbadia Garden and he couldn't blame her. It was just that there was nothing either of them could do.

Stepping up next to her, he gave her an encouraging smile as she acknowledged his presence with a nod, and both just stood there for approximately one hour, till the express to Balamb docked.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The train halted by the platform, the few passengers abandoning it and starting to cross the station.

The SeeDs walked by the wide halls of Deling's train station and most walked around in awe. Sorphan and Zanya had never seen anything like the grandiose looks of the Galbadian building. Both Balamb and Timber stations could never compare to the gracious halls, covered in gold.

"Woah…!" They both let out in pure amazement.

Schala looked around, also impressed by the flawless workmanship but more successful in covering up her admiration. Quentin and Inara saw the others' reactions with amusement. For the instructor, he got it how the beauty of the place could get to them as he also dazzled on it the first time he had been there, over two days ago.

Inara, she had a big smile plastered in her face, seeing the two teenagers act like they were. They looked like kids… like the kids of back then, in an orphanage by the beach. They truly hadn't changed much at all.

Rian, on the other hand, was everything but pleased as he walked through the station without even sparing a glance at the magnificent decorations and exquisite golden statuettes that covered the halls. Everyone else saw a beautiful building, and once outside he was sure they'd marvel in the city's décor and beauty as well, but for him the city fell on different colours.

For Rian, Deling meant pressure, domination, politics, power, influence, abuse, politics and worst and foremost… his mother, by far the worst trait the city had to offer. And the woman they were on their way to meet as they walked the halls towards the entrance and the streets of Deling.

As they headed up the escalator, sunlight greeted them at the top and the city presented itself to them in all her splendour.

Quentin and Inara smiled once more at the other two's reaction as they looked around.

"Sure is big!" Sorphan let out, stretching his sight as far as it could reach and still not seeing anything but tall buildings to their right, some smaller houses to the left, though it made up with huge trees and gardens and straight ahead, a magnificent archway, decorated in gold and embossed figurines he was too far out to distinguish.

All in all, Deling seemed to be a beautiful city.

"Yeah, it's big and beautiful… but this is nothing compared to how it looks like at night." Quentin let out as they descended the steps of the station.

"So, you have been here before?" Inara let out, inching closer to the blond man. "Business or pleasure?" She inquired with a suggestive look.

"Business." He answered with a light frown at her implications, whatever they might be.

"Yeah, right…" She let out very low but still not low enough. "But you're right!" She promptly changed the subject. "Deling is an all-nighter, it only becomes fully alive from nightfall to the first signs of dawn." She added smiling.

This was her kind of city.

As the teens exchanged their randomness, Schala and Rian were the only ones that weren't sharing their enthusiasm, one way or the other.

Schala had a deep frown on her face as she examined her surroundings. She recognized the plaza in front of the train station… she remembered parking a car in the middle of that very street, walking down the path to their right and into the commercial district, where the tallest buildings stood still strong and tall.

_So it wasn't just a dream after all…_ She came to realise. There was no denying it now, those dreams they had been experiencing were real. She had never been to this city before, yet she knew those streets, she had stayed in the hotel and on its little bar below. She got more confused than ever, wondering what had happened to cause them to experience other people's lives…

Meanwhile, Rian continued in his uncharacteristic apathic behaviour. He'd seen these streets before, walked them, played on them… and ran away from them. _It's true what they say… you can't run away forever…_

"So, where is this place we gotta go to, anyway?" Zanya suddenly asked, drawing the teenagers from their thoughts.

"Caraway's Mansion, wasn't it." Quentin said more that asked, sparing a glance at their leader for confirmation and receiving an affirmative nod in response. "Any idea where it is?"

"No." Said Zanya and Sorphan in unison, eying each other.

"What about your last contact, instructor? The one you met last time." Zanya mentioned, remembering his earlier mission.

"You can call me Quentin, Zanya, you are no longer a cadet. We are both SeeDs now." He told her, not for the first time, making the girl murmur something about '_weird'_ as she scratched her head for a moment. "In any case, my contact was a shady dealer that took off from Deling after providing our info. The city was becoming too hot for him, he said… so I guess we'll have to ask around…" He concluded but was suddenly interrupted.

"We just need to take the 08 Bus… it stops right in front of the house…" Rian said, curt and to the point, without even looking at them, what was unusual.

"That's right!" Inara commented. "I didn't know you knew Deling. Come here often?" She asked. There was something about the young man's demeanour that seemed a bit off to her.

Rian turned to face them and his face was expressionless.

"I was born here." He said without a hint of emotion, like his birthplace carried no memories worth cherishing.

To that the red-head raised an eyebrow. He wasn't just born there, he must have lived in Deling for a while to remember the bus routes. And, if he was from Galbadia how come he was a Balambian SeeD? He had never set foot inside her Garden before today, she'd remember. There was something more to his story that met the eye.

But clarifications would have to wait as a bus arrived by the stop and, noting it was their ride, the teens had to step up the pace to catch it.

They boarded the transport and spread around without sitting down. Not only did they not know exactly where their stop was, most of them at least, but there weren't many seats available so they just remained standing, getting hold of the railings as the bus shuttered into motion again.

"A lot of unfamiliar faces around today…" An old woman commented outloud as the bus began to move.

"Well, there's that presidential ceremony going on tonight." An old man beside her noted, not even looking up at the 'unfamiliar faces' in question. "Lot's of people from outside Deling and even from outside Galbadia are coming to see it."

"I heard the hotels have been completely booked for days." Another woman mentioned, turning back in her seat to face the old couple.

"What's it about anyway? The ceremony I mean." The old woman inquired to no one in particular.

"Probably just a presidential communicate, who knows?" Cut in another passenger, a man in a business suit from another row. "Maybe we're invading another country?" He added with a dry chuckle.

"No, it's not that!" The old man said with a look at the man as he clarified. "Didn't you hear the last broadcast? He's publicly presenting the sorceress, Galbadia's new _ambassador_."

The SeeDs and Rian hadn't been paying attention to the locals gossiping till they heard those words.

_A ceremony to present the sorceress… assassinate the sorceress…_ They all thought.

So that was it, they were taking advantage of the possible festivities of the ambassador's announcement and were going to shoot the sorceress.

"Oh, is that what all the fuss is about?" "The old woman said, waving her hand in dismissal.

"And you think it's unwarranted?" The old man almost spat at her, raising his tone considerably and regaining the teens' attention. "Sorceresses are bad news, ya don't remember how it was with that other one, Adel? It was bad, I saw it! I fought in the war, it was horrible."

"But this one is on our side, right?" The woman in the front seat interjected.

"For now! They have no side beside their own!" The old man continued, waving his arms around to make it clearer. "I tell you, if Galbadia unites with a sorceress, it'll be a disaster!"

"This is our stop." Inara let them know, interrupting their listening in on the group's conversation.

The bus stopped in a few seconds and the teens made to step out of it as the galbadians continued their discussion and without being able to shake their words from their heads.

"Woah…! Is that it?" Sorphan's awe made all jump from their thoughts and into the present as they followed his gaze to the house across the street.

The house was huge, easily the largest one on that street and it wasn't just the house. The grounds surrounding it were vast and well kept.

"Yes, that's Caraway's Mansion…" Rian confirmed it without a drop of enthusiasm.

"Yeah, well… let's check it out!" Inara stated, starting to cross the street towards the house.

The more they looked at it, the more they were amazed. Being a congressman had its perks.

_Congressman Caraway… what can this mean, allying with SeeDs to kill the sorceress, is he trying to overthrow the president…? Are we to be a part of some sort of __**coup d'etat**__?_ Schala couldn't stop but wonder. She didn't know the man, she couldn't be certain of his intentions. _Perhaps…_she wondered, remembering what Quentin had told them about his mission. _Or maybe he just doesn't want to be a part of massive genocide… _

They neared the grounds, noting the security around the entrances but finding it normal. He was a congressman of Galbadia after all.

"Stop right there, this is off-limits!" One of the guards stood in their way, negating them passage.

"The congressman is expecting us." Schala mentioned, stepping forward so that she was face to face with the guard. Among the information written on their orders was the assurance that their contact, Congressman Caraway, had been informed of their arrival.

"Ah, the SeeDs dispatched by Garden, huh?" The guard started, examining the teenagers. _Most of them look like kids, are these really elite mercenaries?_ He couldn't stop but wonder faced with their appearances.

"We did hear you were coming, however…" The guard continued, gaining some confused and inquiring expressions from the teens. "… I've been ordered not to let you through until your skills have been tested."

"Say what!?" Zanya let out, amazement and outrage shared by her fellow SeeDs.

"Well now…" Quentin sighed out. He supposed it was the Congressman's prerogative, but still… what a lack of faith and trust.

"We ARE SeeDs, you know!" Sorphan let out as well, feeling insulted that their aptitudes were being placed in question.

And before any of the two SeeDs could even think about taking any action to show their resentment, Schala half-turned and sent them a _"let it go!" _ look that made both calm down and do just that.

Rian sighed as he shook his head, a single thought crossing his mind… _She'll never change…_

"Oh, come on…" Inara started, walking _her way_ towards the guard with a shallow pout. "We've come all this way… can't you just let us in? No one needs to know…" She said, seductively and it seemed to have some effect over the man as it looked like he was pondering it.

The man shook his head though.

"Sorry, Doll, no can do…" He said finally, not noticing the red head wincing slightly at the pet-name. "It'd be my head if I let you through without passing the test."

"And what matter of test might that be?" Schala asked in impatience. Whatever it was, she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"The Tomb of the Unknown King lies to the northeast." The guard said simply, gaining frowns and inquisitive raised eyebrows from the teens.

"Yesterday, another kid, a student who wanted to meet Congressman Caraway went inside the Tomb and never returned… as proof of your entrance and safe passage you are to bring me his weapon. It should have his ID number. If the item you bring matches, I'll let you in." He informed.

"You mean to say we came all this way and he's making us take a stupid test of courage!?" Zanya almost yelled at the man who didn't seem fazed by her behaviour and hostility.

Anymore outbursts were ceased as Schala silenced them once more with a side glance.

Rian shook his head again. _It's just like her to demand something like that._ He thought, a smile creeping to his features despite himself.

"You think you are the only ones trying to pass through these gates? The Congressman doesn't see just about anyone, you must prove yourselves worthy!" The Guard told them. He had dealt with several other kids before, these were no different even if they were recommended by Galbadia Garden's Headmaster.

"Fine, we'll do it." Schala relayed, resisting a sigh at the frustration groans of her companions.

"Very well, here's a map of the Tomb. Be careful, even with this it's easy to get lost in there." The Guard said handing Schala a folded piece of paper that she placed in her jacket's inner pocket.

Nodding, she turned and motioned to the other to leave under the examining eyes of the guards.

"See ya later!" Inara let out in the air as she walked away, waving back at the grounds.

"We are actually going ahead with this?" Zanya grumbled in frustration as they all stood outside the high gates of the house.

"We don't have much choice…" Quentin commented to all truth. "This road should lead us out of the city…" He added, looking at the two galbadians for confirmation.

"Yup, that way! We should probably rent a car, though. It's still a bit far off." Inara stated as they started walking down the street.

"I can't believe we gotta take a test… what a bummer…" Sorphan sighed out as he followed suit.

The few minute walk went quietly, none of the SeeDs seemed to be appreciating the sights anymore now that they were being forced to undergo a silly and completely unnecessary test of courage. Any of them possessed more bravery than all of Caraway's guards combined.

Reaching one of the city's entrances, in their case exit, the teenagers saw, flashing a large sign, a car rental place. Remembering Inara's words, Schala decided that renting one would be a good idea if it allowed them to finish this assignment faster.

She started walking towards it and, following her lead, so did the rest of them.

As they reached the stand, both Sorphan and Inara started to look over the cars.

"Hmm… that one would be great!" Inara commented, pointing at a stylish red sports car.

"We won't all fit in there…" Quentin pointed out matter-of-fact.

"Well… we will if I go on someone's lap…" She left that statement out in the open and though Rian and Quentin didn't seem too interested in that, even dreading it a bit, Sorphan tensed immediately, refusing to look her way.

The man of the dealership approached them and before he could say anything, Schala cut him off.

"We'll take that one." She said, pointing at a large blue station wagon that could carry all of them in a non-cramped state.

Inara wasn't too pleased though as she really wanted to take the convertible, even if it was jut as an excuse to go on one of the boys' laps. But she shook it off, comfort was also important.

"Can I drive?" Sorphan asked as the owner brought them the keys and handed them over to Schala, as she paid.

Schala looked at the tall brunet sideways, having to lean her head up to look him in the eyes.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_**VVRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM**_

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"WOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"Alright!"

"Slow down… pleeeease!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Those were the cries that one would've heard if anyone was in, at least, a fifty metre radius of the navy blue station wagon that sped through the galbadian plains in the outskirts of Deling city. The car moved fast and incredibly steady on the dirt road as the driver set out towards the northeast part of the continent.

Even as the vehicle moved within the road, the sharp curves made the teens stay glued to their seats, especially now that they were climbing up a cliff and, not exactly the road but the sides of the road were getting thinner as they neared the edge.

At the very top laid the Tomb of the Unknown King, an ancient structure that rose at the top of the cliff, over the raging waters at its bottom.

The car screeched into that last curve, coming to an immediate stop by the entrance of the ruins. Without even waiting for the engine to cool, Zanya all but jumped out of the vehicle, almost chocking as she took in long breaths in the attempt to keep her lunch from coming out of her mouth.

Rian and Quentin also stumbled out of the car, supporting themselves on the station wagon's frame to hold their balance.

"That was some serious driving!" Inara followed suit, a big smile on her face. That was it for her, fast rides, guns and handsome people. There was a two out of three right there.

The door to the side of the driver opened and a brunet head became visible from over the car.

"I didn't know you liked to drive, and you do it really good, girl!" Sorphan said as the driver's door opened and out came the other brunette.

The woman almost smiled as she stretched her arms to hide her amusement. Schala liked driving, and particularly liked to drive fast, it was another way to release her stress and clear her head besides fighting. She felt much better now.

"We should race sometime, just for fun." Sorphan suggested as he rounded the car to join the others.

Schala's reply was lost as the teens entered the ruins and observed their surroundings argus-eyed.

Plant life and moss covered almost completely the ancient walls that, despite their age, still held firm and together. But still, the ruins carried a certain beauty to them as the stone walls contrasted with the greenery of life and the clear blue waters that completely surrounded the main structure.

"It's quite beautiful..." Quentin commented, thought mirrored by some of the SeeDs.

"And mysterious..." Inara added, stepping in front of him. "Do you know the legend of the Unknown King?" She asked, knowing that, at least most of them didn't.

Presented with negative responses and curious stares, Inara brightened and started to tell the story as they crossed the ruined grounds towards the entrance to the Tomb.

"No one knows exactly how old is this structure and this tale, but historians claim that the Unknown King was the main protagonist in the establishment of what is today, the Galbadian Empire..."

"If he was one of the founders, why don't you know his name?" Sorphan interrupted.

"Well, as I said no one knows how long ago the king lived and died..." She enlightened, not at all bothered by the interruption. "... and with no decipherable written record... his name was lost to History." She clarified while waving her arms and signalling the whole surrounding ruins.

"Legend goes, the King forged his kingdom on the battlefield and his army met no match during his campaign." She returned to telling the legend. "Some say that he walked alongside thousands of men... others say it was just a handful of them, the theories differ but there is one constant... or two, if you prefer..."

"They talk of two strong and powerful brothers that allied themselves to the King. They joined him after being defeated in battle and swore their allegiance to his cause till the day they were defeated by another." She told them as they crossed the bridge to the entrance of the Tomb.

"He supposedly ordered the Tomb to be build for his men that fell in battle and wished on his dying breath, to be buried with them... And so he was... or so they say..."

"So they say? You don't know for sure?" Zanya asked with a raised eyebrow as they entered the tomb.

The interior of the structure was in many ways in the same state as the exterior, the lesser light that reached the interior of the maze's halls passing through the many breaches in the ceiling and walls.

Inara looked back at her with a mischievous smile as she expected, or hoped someone would ask that question.

"Well... truth is no one has ever laid eyes on the actual grave of the king." She said simply, dazzling on the confused and curious faces sported by her companions. "They suspect he lies in the centre chamber but haven't managed to reach it... There's a puzzle that needs to be solved and has yet to be..."

Several thoughts crossed the teens' minds as they penetrated the ancient ruins, some wondering how cool it would be if they found the king's grave.

"Apart from the puzzle, monsters have invaded this ancient shrine, making it their home, which makes exploration more complicated, not to mention there are rumours of something worse than monsters that haunt these halls... preying on those who dare disturb them..." Inara provided, unable to suppress a smile despite the intensity of the information she relayed.

"Makes you wonder how far that student managed to reach..." Rian commented, not very comfortable in such an unfamiliar and possibly hostile environment and wanting to leave it as soon as possible.

"Not that far..." They heard Schala say as she walked ahead of them and knelt down near some fallen object.

All, or at least most of them were so entranced in Inara's tale they were barely aware of their surroundings.

Schala had made out, from a distance, the fallen weapon, a sabre like blade lying on the stone floor. Picking it up, she started examining it as the others approached her.

"Is there an ID code on it?" Quentin asked since those were the specifications of the test.

Schala turned the weapon and saw something inscribed at the hilt.

"_Student ID nº 84..." _she read to herself as it seemed they found what they were looking for. Nodding at the instructor's question, Schala saw as some of the teens relaxed now that the little test was done while others seemed more annoyed... it was a rather poor assignment.

"Can we go back now?" Rian commented to which the others seemed to agree, most of them at least.

"Hold on a sec!" Inara cried out causing all of them to turn back to face her. "Don't ya wanna explore this place? We can be the ones to find the long lost tomb!"

"Pass." Quentin said, making to walk back outside. "Besides, we're already on a mission, a very important one at that... we don't have time to waste in frivolous activities." He said to make an end to it, but unsuccessfully.

"But...!" Inara started again but he immediately cut her off.

"Inara Kinneas!" Quentin turned and stepped towards her to make his words perfectly clear. "You have an essential part in the operation we are to undertake... there is no time for personal quests of fortune and glory!"

And that was the end of it. The teens all turned to walk back, with Quentin and Schala taking the lead as Inara fell behind a bit, but walked behind them.

She hadn't given up, though.

"Remember the part of the brothers?" She started again and most of the teens slowed their pace to listen. "Legend also goes that, after the king's death, they didn't see their pact as terminated and vowed to watch over the remains..." She talked, apparently absentmindedly as she walked slowly.

"Some say they are keeping their vow to this day..." She added, regaining the attention of the SeeDs and Rian. "It is suggested, from their power and extraordinary abilities, that they weren't humans... in those times, people called them..." She paused and stopped walking all together, looking at their squad leader's back. "... Guardians..."

Inara smiled as the brunette halted, raising her head at the words. Seemed like her point got across, one way or the other.

_The Brothers... Guardians... could they be..._

"Schala?" Quentin asked, noticing the woman had stopped as did the rest of them. "We should hurry back. We lost enough time as it is..." He added but she didn't seem to be listening as she turned to face the red head.

Schala eyed the slightly shorter woman closely, looking for any sign of deception, Hyne knew the woman had proven to be quite sneaky in the past.

"A GF?" Schala said as she kept her penetrating gaze on the other woman. Even considering the chance it was false, the mere possibility of acquiring a GF, no matter how small, was worth it.

Inara brightened as the others looked at each other with mixed expressions. On one side, Sorphan and Zanya fumbled in anticipation on another GF battle, Rian was hesitant and Quentin, incredulous.

"So it's true what I've heard…" Inara started, a big smile on her face. "Balamb Garden specialises in the use of GFs. It actually isn't a practice in Galbadia Garden, we mostly resort to technology… anyway, I can't tell for sure what we'll find inside, but it will certainly be an interesting ride."

"'_Interesting'_? We are not on a joyride!!" Quentin snapped, turning back to Schala that walked ahead and was now next to Inara. "Schala?!"

"Quentin." She surprised everyone not only for answering in a calm tone, but for using his first. She had never called him Quentin before. "We have a very intense mission on our hands and there's a strong possibility we will have to face an incredibly powerful sorceress head on…" She told them staring straight at the blond instructor as Inara feinted hurt at the implication that she would miss her target.

Quentin was silent, listening to her words intently.

"If it comes to that…" She added, stepping closer to the senior SeeD. "We'll need all the help we can get."

Quentin kept her gaze for a few seconds and then he nodded his accordance.

Nodding back, Schala turned to the rest of them. "We'll split into two groups to search the maze fastest." She informed them looking around and thinking on how to split the team.

As most of the others stood straight waiting her orders, Rian secretly hoping he'd be with her not only for the most obvious reasons but because she was an outstanding fighter and he felt safe around her. Quentin was thoughtful, looking at their leader through the corner of his eyes.

_Well… she seems to be getting used to taking charge…_He thought, a little smile creeping into his features. _She might become a great leader in the future…_

"Alright…" She started again, ignoring the suggesting looks Inara sent her as she signalled the boys. "Inara and Sorphan will come with me to the east side as Quentin, you'll take Zanya and Rian to the west." She told them as she pulled out the map Caraway's guard had given them and held it down so that the others could see it too.

_I need to see Inara in battle… see what I can count on… _Schala thought as she decided on the groups. _Quentin and Zanya can handle anything that might come their way… they'll be safe…_ She reasoned, thinking about Rian's safety especially. He wasn't as well trained as they were.

There were no complaints with the teams, Rian swallowing his protests and Inara perfectly content with being with Sorphan and Schala.

Seeing no one had anything to add, Schala continued, pointing at the map.

"We'll each check these wider chambers. They are more likely to hold something of importance." She instructed, receiving concordant nods. "We'll meet on the other side, in this chamber…" She said pointing to the northern room on the map.

When the plan of action was clear, Schala rolled up the map and replaced it in her pocket.

"Let's set a 30 minute window…" Quentin added. "If one group doesn't arrive at the designated rendezvous in that time, the other group will go looking for them."

"Agreed." Schala nodded. _Better safe than sorry…_

"Ok, let's go then!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Quentin, Rian and Zanya walked the halls quietly and alert. There were a lot of intersections and danger could be lurking around every corner.

Quentin had previously established that, to prevent them getting lost, they would always stick close to the wall at their left. That way they wouldn't loose their way and reach the target chamber safely.

_Just one more corner…_ Quentin thought as he recalled the map. They really should have brought two of them.

As they crossed the last corner the hall extended west in a straight line. They walked slowly none the less, with Quentin at the lead watching for every possible threat, Rian in the middle ready to support either of them if necessary and Zanya at the back, watching their six'.

A few metres ahead and they came across a large stone tablet that blocked their passage. Frowning slightly, the blond instructor approached the wall in attempt to figure out if there was a way past it.

_This must be part of the puzzle Inara mentioned…_ He wondered as he examined the tablet, the other two teens on a lookout.

He identified several writings on the wall. _I don't understand a word of this…_ He thought as it seemed to be written in a long lost language. _Wait a second… this seems recent…_ He concluded as there seemed to be fresh marking on the bottom right corner of the tablet.

"_It feels like I've been here forever… I still can't find what they asked me to find…"_

"_I can't take it, physically or mentally… I'm not qualified to be a SeeD…"_

"_For those of you reading this…"_

The rest of it was damaged, there were claw like marks all over the writing. Quentin leaned closer trying to clean the message enough to be able to read it.

"Did you find anything?" Rian asked, looking over the blond's shoulder.

"There seems to be something here… but I can't…" He started but was interrupted by a low and threatening growl from behind them and a slushy sound.

"Ahmm… guys?" Zanya called out as she stepped closer to the boys.

"We've got company…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Should be just up ahead!" Inara stated as the other team approached the east chamber.

They walked mostly side by side, though constantly alert and aware of all their surroundings. Despite Inara's warnings about monsters habiting the ruins, they had yet to encounter any.

They reached the east most room and immediately started looking around for anything relevant. Apart from a large pedestal supporting a massive kneeling, armoured Minotaur statue, there didn't seem to be anything else in the area. Still Inara and Sorphan spread out searching for any hidden switch or something of the sort.

Meanwhile, Schala was on lookout, just in case some monster decided to sneak in from the passage. A barely audible rumble made her turn however, to the inside of the room. The others didn't seem to have heard it as they continued their search.

Schala approached the statue carefully and slowly, watching it closely. She could have sworn the sound came from there but on closer inspection, it seemed completely solid.

As it didn't reveal anything suspicious, Schala turned her back to the statue and moved to the entrance of the chamber again.

However, a new stronger rumble was heard making her halt immediately and this time both Inara and Sorphan heard it too as they stopped their search and looked back at the slightly trembling statue.

Schala half turned in time to see the statue raising form its kneeling position and growling loudly as it stretched, bits and pieces of rock spreading all over the room.

"**Trespassers… YOU DARE TO DEFILE THE SACRED TOMBS!!**" The Minotaur growled as he jumped from his platform and charged at the brunette.

Schala saw as the massive creature rushed at her and in the last possible second, she rolled to the side, the beast missing her by millimetres.

Minotaur halted, turning to face his opponents as it stood over the entrance of the chamber.

They were boxed in!

"You ok?" Sorphan asked as both him and Inara joined with the squad leader, neither tearing their eyes of their adversary, Inara standing a bit behind as she readied her shotgun.

"**I'll show you the price of your intrusion… YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!!**" He roared once more before charging again.

But they were ready this time. Both brunets jumped to opposite sides, sending their hands forward and launching an ice spell each aimed at the creature's legs and floor. The beast slipped on the ice and lost control, slamming against the platform in the centre of the room.

Taking advantage of his slip, both charged at him as Inara fired a couple of shots from afar. The sharpshooter's eyes widened as she saw her bullets bounce right off and her companions' attacks barely scratching the skin.

_His skin is unnaturally hard… _She thought as she reloaded her weapon and fired again, supporting the others as the beast rose back to his feet and waved a large spiked mace at them. Once again the bullets did little damage.

_I guess I need more fire power…_ She reflected as she reached into her ammo pouch, taking out different coloured bullets. _These will do nicely… _And a sly smile crept into her features.

Meanwhile, the other two SeeDs were just barely managing to dodge the large creature's attacks while inflicting a few wounds of their own. However and despite their insistence, the cuts were only shallow and seemed to heal almost immediately after being made. Even their magic attacks seemed to hold little effect as the scorch marks disappeared within seconds.

A wide swing by the creature's mace made Sorphan lose his balance and the beast raised his weapon high ready to squash him like a pancake.

As his heavy arms lowered, two single shots echoed inside the chamber followed by the loud howls of pain from the creature that dropped his weapon.

Still visible in his right hand and shoulder were two perfectly circular holes caused by the red-haired woman's powerful Armour-Piercing rounds. She smiled and winked as she recharged her shotgun and her fellow SeeDs approached the damaged beast for the final blow.

His wounds started to heal but this time the damage was great and they'd be on him before he was fully recovered and able to defend himself.

"**You are pretty strong…**" He let out as he rose to his feet, grabbing his weapon with his left hand. "**But I won't go down so easily…**" He mumbled as he gave a little hop.

As little as it was, the vibrations caused by his landing shook the room tremendously, making most of them almost lose their balance. Taking advantage of their distraction, Minotaur rushed past them, out of the chamber and into the depths of the maze.

"**IT AIN'T OVER YET!!"** They heard him shout as he disappeared into the halls, unable to chase after him.

Recovering their breaths, the teens regrouped, still looking after the path the creature had followed.

"Well… that was fun…" Inara let out, gaining the stares of the brunets as a low rumbling behind them caught their attention.

They turned and stared as the pedestal that had carried the massive beast, slowly rose higher off the ground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Fire!" Rian shouted as he cast the spell on an approaching gelatinous blue blob that screeched in pain on contact.

But it wasn't done yet as it stretched itself and tried to hit him, Rian managing to roll out of the way thanks to his recently enhanced agility.

Several monsters had attacked them while they were analysing the tablet, cornering them against it. But the SeeDs and Rian weren't opponents to be taken lightly. Many of the attacking creatures had already fallen and only a couple of Blobras, two Armadodos and a Buel remained.

At first, the gooey creatures had proven challenging, the teens' physical attacks having close to no effect whatsoever, but after a well positioned thunder spell their magical weakness was revealed and Rian had already dispatched two of them while the SeeDs focused on attacking the rest of the monsters up close. In such a narrow place, the raven-haired young man couldn't use his weapon and found it best to focus on magic instead.

The Buel cried out as Quentin's Chainwhip wrapped around its centre and sent it against the wall, finishing it off as Zanya fought the armoured lizards. These were proving troublesome as their hard shell protected them from the martial artist's devastating blows.

Rian killed another Blobra as Quentin, with a lucky grab of his whip, managed to flip one of the Armandoos upside down, revealing its soft skin. Zanya jumped at it and pummelled the defenseless creature as Quentin attempted to flip the other one as well. Successful, a thunder spell finished it off as Zanya killed the other one and Rian's blizzard hit the last Blobra and the threat was finally neutralized.

"Woah… that was somewhat tiresome…" Zanya let out, stretching her muscles.

"Yeah…" Rian sighed as he leaned against the stone tablet that had caused them to battle in such a limited space.

"Well… seems like there's nothing here." Quentin concluded, them being unable to continue through that way. "Let's regroup and figure this out." He said and the teens started to walk away, back to the maze.

They hadn't given two steps as a low rumbling sounded behind them and they turned, reaching out for their weapons.

But no danger came their way, instead the large stone tablet seemed to be shaking and soon after, it started descending onto the ground.

"What the…?" Zanya let out as their obstacle slowly disappeared revealing a long tunnel ahead and at its end, what seemed to be daylight.

"Let's check it out." Quentin ordered as they walked over the barely visible remains of the stone wall that previously blocked their passage and continued due west.

A few meters away they reached the end of the tunnel. There wasn't exactly a chamber but more like a slightly wider area with an opening leading outside. In addition, inside the room were several connected cogwheels which function was unknown to the teens.

"Is it a way out?" Rian asked as Quentin looked out of the opening.

"Only if you don't mind getting wet…" He stated as he stepped back to allow the others the view.

Past the opening was a large deposit of water, part of what seemed to completely surround the whole extension of the ruins. There was no dry passage and beyond the water and a few overgrown flora, they could see the edge of the cliff and the ocean. Looking down at the unappealing still waters they resigned themselves to the fact there was no exit there.

"Damn…" Rian let out as he leaned against the wall near the opening.

"Huh…?" He mumbled as he felt the wall move behind him, making him almost jump off of it when he realised what was happening.

The SeeDs approached him and saw as a salience on the wall reseeded inside it. They looked at each other with curious stares.

"Must have been a pressure switch…" Quentin reasoned.

"But for what?" Zanya inquired as they had no way of knowing what within the vast structure had changed with their little manoeuvre.

Shrugging and unable to find an answer to that, the SeeDs and Rian decided it was best to rejoin the others. Maybe together they could find the answer.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala and her team walked the halls carefully as they headed for the rendezvous point at the northern edge of the tomb. After their encounter with the Minotaur, whom they assumed was one of the Brothers, they hadn't faced any other monster.

Reaching the north most part of the maze, they walked across the corridor without any hiccups, noting the slightly elevated step on their way.

Arriving at the end of the passage, the SeeDs found themselves in a chamber wider than before. In this room what caught their attention was the large and empty water tank like cavity that occupied most of the area and the fact they could see direct sunlight from beyond a big flood-gate on the other edge of the room.

As they set to explore every corner of the chamber, the sound of footsteps from the corridor they had just came through delayed their intentions as all stood in alert, their weapons drawn.

The steps grew closer and closer and once they were upon them, the three teens jumped in their way, making the upcoming teens jump as well as they crossed weapons.

A couple of seconds were enough for all six teenagers to lower their weapons and breath in relief that, one, the others weren't monsters, second, that no harm had come to any of them and they were now together again.

The following minutes were spent each telling their experiences. The face off with Minotaur and the device Rian had unintentionally activated. Hearing how the stone tablet had reseeded approximately at the same time Minotaur was defeated, and the platform rose, they concluded both events were connected and that the pressure switch activated had probably given them access to that very room.

"So they were both part of the puzzle." Quentin concluded.

"And there should be another element of it in this room." Sorphan pointed out as they all started to look around the room, touching the walls in search of a similar device.

They were unsuccessful until Zanya approached the flood-gate. There was a concealed lever in a crack on the wall and she placed her hand in it in hopes of reaching it.

_I almost have it…_ She thought as she could already feel the tips of her fingers touching the side of the lever.

"Found something?" Sorphan asked as he noticed the girl's strain.

"Maybe…" She let out as she almost got it.

_Just a little more…_ She was just about to get a grip on it… _Got it!_ She beamed as she got a sufficient hold to pull the lever down.

What happened next was fast and loud as the flood-gate opened and the water from the surrounding canals flooded the passage below ground level. The water splashed around catching some of the teens that turned with accusatory glares to the blonde martial artist.

"Sorry…" She apologised but they shook it off as surprise as they realised she had probably found the last piece of the puzzle.

"You think the passageway to the centre chamber is open now?" She asked and they had no way to know for certain except to fall back and check it out.

As they walked down the halls towards the centre of the maze, they could hear the sound of running water beneath them and as they approached the middle coming from the north, they noticed the central area was filled with water.

"This way we might be able to swim across to the main chamber!" Sorphan beamed though his companions didn't seem too keen on getting into the water.

"Maybe we should go around it, see if there's any dry passage before we jump in…" Quentin suggested, what was generally accepted and they started to round the area.

Reaching the opposite side, they were rewarded with a wooden platform that granted them access to the centre chamber. Checking their junctions… just in case, the six teens crossed the small bridge and into the Tomb.

It was a wide chamber, wider than any other inside the ruins. Light sneaked in from the breaches in the ceiling and the sound of running water echoed within the walls. There were some sarcophagus in cavities on the walls, but there was a bigger, more richly detailed one at the back of the room.

"That must be it!" Inara cheered as she approached it along a few of the others.

"Watch out!" The warning call was soon enough that the teens backed out just in time to avoid being squashed as Minotaur's heavy frame landed on the ground where the teens stood not a second before.

The massive creature raised his head to face them, noting there were more of them now, but it didn't matter.

He wasn't alone anymore.

"**You should have left when you had the chance…**" His strong voice echoed throughout the chamber. "**Now it's too late, you won't get out of here alive… Me and my Big Bro will finish you off for good!**"

"**BIG** **BRO!! WE HAVE INTRUDERS IN THE TOMB!!"** He cried out, his voice carried beyond the room and through the entire ruins.

A loud growl made the walls tremble as a response to the call. The teens reached for their weapons in alert. If this was the younger brother…

"**Hey, Little Bro**." They heard as a second being descended from above and landed lightly on the crypt's floor.

The SeeDs and Rian all but stared at the newcomer, surprised and at the same time, confused.

"The puny one's the Elder Brother?" Zanya blurted out without thinking and even though it was a little tactless, the same thought crossed all of the other's minds.

The Elder Brother was like the youngest in most aspects. He had golden horns instead of red and his armour was bright blue and silver whereas his brother's was red and black. Both beasts carried menacing looking spiked maces, but the most obvious difference, what made the teens hold their laughter, was the fact that the oldest was practically half the size of the youngest.

"**Hey Big Bro… I think their making fun of us…**" Minotaur stated after hearing that, a vein salient on his forehead.

"**Hmm…"** Sacred let out, apparently unaffected by their comments on his size.

"**They crashed the tomb…"** Minotaur continued as if listing the teens' offences.

"**Hmm…"** The older let out again, though an annoyed frown showed on his forehead, still not angry at the teens.

"… **And, they attacked ME!"** The younger brother let out, as if it was the most serious of the transgressions.

"**Oh, really?"** Sacred said, his eyes narrowing as if that last action was indeed the gravest one. **"Foolish little humans… You'll learn not to bite on more than you can chew…"**

And he jumped high, brandishing his heavy spiked mace at the group of teenagers that all had to jump out of the beast's destructive attack. He landed heavily, weapon first, raising the ground around it, the resulting cracks extending throughout the crypt's floor. But he wasn't done yet, as his hoofed feet reached the ground he swung his weapon to his right as his brother rushed to his left, each facing off about half the group.

The teens got separated into their previous teams, with Quentin, Zanya and Rian battling Sacred as Schala, Inara and Sorphan fought the Minotaur again.

Quentin cracked his whip, attempting to get a hold of the dreadful mace as Zanya tried to get closer to perform her attacks. Meanwhile, Rian reached out for Cardinal and launched it against their opponent, taking advantage of the wider space. But Sacred moved fast and even with Quentin's Chainwhip wrapped around the pole of his weapon, the creature was still able to deviate from the attacks and swing his mace at the teens again, the Guardian's strength no match for the instructor's GF enhanced one.

On the other side of the room, Schala and Sorphan were attacking Minotaur as Inara stood a bit behind, weapon ready and loaded with more AP rounds. But the younger of the Brothers already knew this tactic so, in between of fending the brunets off he would stomp the ground causing it to tremble and disrupt the red head's shots.

Once again, the SeeDs witnessed as the injuries they were able to inflict healed within instants as the creatures' attacks grew more powerful.

The successive attacks turned the battlefield in a way that the teens were now practically side by side and the two separated teams were now one again. In an attempt to gain the upper hand, the groups mixed and focused their attacks as the Brothers did the same.

The four close combat experts, Zanya, Schala, Sorphan and Quentin attacked the Brothers, standing in front and in between them as the ranged fighters, Rian and Inara, fought from afar. The six teenagers altered their targets, innovating and combining their attacks so that neither brother could anticipate them

Rian threw his giant boomerang again and, due to the increased distraction, Sacred didn't avoid it this time, causing a heavy blow to his head. He swung wide pushing the SeeDs back momentarily as he raised his head at the perpetrator. The raven-haired young man had to suppress a shiver at the ferocity in the older brother's eyes as the injury to his forehead healed before Rian's eyes.

Sacred's growl echoed in the chamber as he shared a look with his younger brother. Nodding in accordance, the two brothers positioned themselves side by side, their weapons arranged so that the head of the maces were between them. Their next action happened almost too quickly for most of the teens to follow.

They banged their maces together and, in unison, both leaped forward towards their opponents, but mostly towards Rian, who couldn't react as the Brothers used their most powerful joint strike, _Mad Cow Attack_. They swung their maces together but just before the attack hit their target, Rian was pushed out of the way by none other than Schala that took the blow at its full, being thrown across the room.

"SCHALA!!" The other SeeDs shouted as they saw their leader take a most devastating blow.

Enraged by the event, Zanya and Sorphan charged at the creatures with renewed determination and strength. They attacked the Brothers at full force, with Quentin and Inara close behind them.

Meanwhile, after recovering from his shock, Rian rushed to the brunette's side. He found her groaning in pain but conscious and couldn't help but think that she'd saved his life again. _I've lost count on the times she's saved my life…_

He shook his thoughts and readied a cure for the woman who flung her eyes open as the magic did its function. She tried to stand but was still too groggy from the blow to manage on her own. A hand showed up before her and she raised her head to find Rian's thankful face.

Her eyes shifted back to his hand. She didn't like being helped, depending on others, but under the circumstances she might not have much of a choice. She got a hold on his offering but then abandoned all attempts of standing up as she felt something beneath her.

_What was that…?_ She thought as she placed her other hand on the floor and felt it again. It was like a pulse, different from a quake that ran through the ground and seemed to head towards the battle ahead. She raised her eyes and focused her eyes on the fight going on in front of her.

"Schala?" Rian called out, wondering why the girl wasn't getting up and secretly fearing she would shove his hand away again.

But she didn't seem to have even listened to him. Feeling another pulse running through the floor, she focused her eyes on the brothers, her eyes widening as she saw a recent cut on the shorter brother's shoulder closing and, with another pulse, a bruise on the taller brother's forehead healing.

Looking at the ground again, she wondered. _They are earthen creatures… earth elementals… They are healing… earth… healing…_ She raised her eyes, understanding reflected in them. _The earth heals them… we need to get them away from the ground… But how…? Hah!_

Using Rian's hand as support, which brightened his spirits considerably, Schala rose to her feet and, grabbing her weapon that she had involuntarily discarded, she approached the battle once more, Rian following close behind her.

Just as Sorphan managed to barely avoid one of the brother's swings and Zanya was forced to jump back to evade another, a cry echoed within the chamber.

"FLOAT!" Schala cast towards the elder brother under the surprised and unexpecting eyes of her companions.

"**Aaahhhh!!"** Sacred let out as he rose into the air, unable to control his movements and completely cut off from the ground.

Taking advantage of his defenceless situation, Inara fired at him a couple of AP rounds causing the beast to howl in pain.

And that was when the teens saw it, when they understood their leader's actions… Sacred wasn't healing.

But as they understood, so did Minotaur as he got ready to disrupt the woman's concentration with another little hop. However he never reached the ground as another float was cast and the guardian's heavy frame hovered above the ground, helpless.

Rian stepped next to Schala, holding his arm up and maintaining the spell over the brother. Schala nodded to him in a _"Good job"_ kinda way as she turned her head to the others and gave them a different nod, a "_Go get them"_ kind of nod.

The remaining SeeDs understood and turned around, ready to end the battle.

"**Big Bro…"** Minotaur almost whimpered as he was barely able to control his movements let alone defend himself from the teens' attacks.

"**Hang on, Little Bro…"** Sacred tried to reassure him, but he himself was already anticipating great difficulties.

Quentin cracked his whip and launched at Sacred's weapon as he attempted to swing it towards them and this time the instructor was able to keep a hold on it since the Guardian's strength had considerably diminished with his distance to the ground. Meanwhile, Zanya had leaped onto Minotaur's frame and immediately proceeded to pound at the creature's chest, causing Rian to have to strain to maintain the float spell active.

"Get off!" Sorphan shouted as he tapped into his GF's power and the SeeDs released and jumped away.

Calling forth a powerful tornado spell, courtesy of Fenrir, strong winds formed and jumbled the Brothers around causing increased damage due to their hovering status. Once the spell ended, the Brothers were both hurting and dizzy and completely unable to defend themselves as Inara, with a smirk on her face, raised Valiant, packed with her super powerful Explosive ammo, and fired two shots, one at each of the creatures' squirming frames.

The explosion shook the entire chamber, causing Rian and Schala to also release their hold on the brothers that crashed against the hard stone floor. Their damage severe, not even their contact with the earth helped them recover their strengths as they strained into a kneeling position.

"**Big Bro… we lost…"** Minotaur whimpered weakly.

"**Indeed we did… Humans!**" He addressed the six teenagers standing in front of them. "**You have defeated the Brothers, now we must ask of you… Mighty ones…"** He added, looking straight at them. "**… May we join you?"**

The SeeDs and Rian looked at each other, Schala turning to the Brothers and noddin. After all, that's what they were there for.

"**Whom of you shall we serve?"** He asked, his gaze running through each of their faces, stopping by Inara's for a second longer than the rest.

The brunette gunblader was the one to discover their weakness, but it was the red headed sharpshooter who inflicted the final blow.

Schala followed his gaze to their most recent companion. Inara was the most logical choice, after all she was the only one without a GF.

"Inara." She said, receiving concordant nods from the rest of them except from the rewarded teen.

"What!? No, I don't think…" She stuttered uncomfortably. "I never had a GF, it's best if one of you gets them." She tried to reason to no avail.

Quentin shook his head. "It's precisely because you don't have any that you should keep the Brothers." He added.

"But…" _I don't want to forget…_ She finished in thought, remembering the rumours which said that holding GFs inside your mind took the space of past memories. Past memories that were precious to her and she'd rather die that letting them go.

"If we end up fighting the sorceress, you'll need them." Quentin reasoned.

"Go ahead, take them." Rian cut in. "You'll get used to them." He said in all truth. Having Siren in his mind had been a new experience, sure that particular GF wasn't imposing, but it still felt different and he had grown used to her reasonable voice in his head.

"… Fine…" She surrendered to her companions' insistence and turned to face the Guardians that disappeared in a cloud of dust and surrounded the sharpshooter. Soon after, Sacred and Minotaur's voices joined her own inside her mind.

_Please, don't make me forget…_ She thought, forgetting or unknowing that they could hear her.

_**Don't worry, child.**_ Sacred's softer voice sounded making the woman mentally jump in surprise. _**We'll keep your memories safe.**_

_**Yeah, we're good at guarding stuff!**_Minotaur cut in. _**We'll guard them with our lives till we die, right Big Bro?**_

_**That's right, Little Bro.**_

Inara smiled at her new Guardians' antics, happy that she had them inside her head.

"Ready to go back?" Quentin asked to the rest of them.

With on last look at the, now crumbling chamber and the sarcophagus of the Unknown King at the back, the teens turned to leave the room and the ruins.

Schala stopped suddenly, turning back to the crypt with narrowed eyes, staring at the tomb. She'd swear she heard something, rather, felt something coming from the King's grave. Not detecting anything abnormal and hearing the calls of her companions, she shrugged it off and followed them out.

Inside the central chamber, within the tomb, something did move as the cover of the sarcophagus opened by itself in the abandoned crypt. Out from it came a ghostly visage, a green mist that materialised over the grave.

The skeleton shape in degrading armour and wearing a richly decorated crown on his white haired skull kneeled upon his previous resting place, watching the teens that had defeated his Guardians, the Brothers that had protected his Tomb for many generations, walk away. His empty eye cavities glowed with unnatural greenish light, as he thought.

_**The Brothers… defeated… I am finally… free…**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: __You and me both, honey... I... am... FRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!..._

_**Clears throat...**__ Sorry about that..._

_Anyway, here goes the longest chapter EVER!! 32 pages, baby! I must have been outta my mind... Never, ever again, I tell you!! (till the next one... ;P)_

_Oh well, I hope you liked it! A little more Inara inputs here and, the Brothers! Really, I had fun writing the whole Tomb part, I hope you enjoyed reading it too XD. _

_As for those last few lines... well, I'm taking the suggestion of one of my dear readers, just about one of the few that requested a GF appearance, and I must add I loved her idea... It will become clearer in the chapters to come ;P_

_Ok, time to rap it up... for now at least XD, I'll try to update soon, find the time to write between my driving lessons (those of you that live in Lisbon, Portugal... beware!!), drawing and playing WOW... XD_

_Many hugs and kisses to all of you out there, keep reading, ok? 'Cause I'll surely keep writing ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	21. Chapter 21: The Big Mission

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... Let's face it, I don't own much of anything else either. . ._

**Chapter 21 – The Big Mission**

The Sorceress stirred in her chair in the middle of the wide presidential chamber decorated with just clear white veils hanging all around ceiling. The woman opened her eyes as her red mask receded revealing her cruel golden eyes focusing in the northeast corner of the chamber, as if she could look through its walls.

"My Sorceress…" The only other person in the room spoke, a kneeling young blond awakened by his lady's stir. "… is there something wrong?"

"A great power has reawakened to the North facing East…" She said after a moment's pause.

_Someone must have defeated the Guardians… The King has risen…_

"Power…?" The Knight inquired as his Sorceress switched her gaze from the wall to him.

"Yes… A power worthy of you, my Knight…" She spoke slowly, a plan forming in her head to harness the great power of the millennium King.

The young man bowed further, a characteristic smirk adorning his face.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The elevator sounded a _ping_ as it reached the third floor and the doors opened revealing two teenagers, a tall, dark skinned male and a petit, albino female.

They crossed the hall, approaching Xu's desk that greeted them with a raised eyebrow.

"You're back already?" She inquired, rhetorically.

"Yeah, well…" Raijin started since Fujin wasn't in the mood to talk, as usual. "We ran into instructor Trepe while we were there and he ordered us to deliver this written report to the headmaster, ya know." He said, removing the sealed envelope from his pocket and setting it on the table.

Xu's eyes widened as she heard they had met Quentin. She had been worried sick, they were long overdo for their check in.

"You met Quentin? Is he ok?" She blurted out before she could stop herself. Being a SeeD was a dangerous business and every time they went out on a mission there was always the risk of not coming back.

That didn't mean she didn't worry.

"Yeah, he was there with Schala and the rest of them, ya know." He added, seeing the dark-haired woman's relieved expression change drastically to one of worry.

_The Timber team?_Xu thought, recalling the events of the other day and the reason they had sent those two to deliver the message in the first place. _That implies they made it out, but how does Quentin and Seifer fit into all that… What does it all mean…?_

She was drawn out of her thoughts when Raijin cleared his throat to get her attention. Both teens looked at the senior SeeD intently, waiting to be dismissed and, hopefully, be able to return to Galbadia and resume their search for their friend.

"Oh, right…" Xu collected herself. Reaching for the letter and raising from her chair, looking straight at the teens. "What about Galbadia's Headmistress?" She remembered asking.

"She confirmed the info and said was on to it, ya know." Raijin replied with a slight shrug.

"Very well, I'll inform the Headmaster…" She thought out loud. "You're dismissed!" She ordered as she rounded the desk and headed towards the headmaster's office's door.

The two teens nodded and turned to leave but halted as the older woman added.

"But don't go far…" She added while opening the door and looking back at them with a seriously concerned expression. "We might need you around here… and soon…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I see you made it back in one piece." Caraway's guard let out, as the teens approached the Mansion once more. He was a bit surprised, even, that such a young group was able to survive their excursion to the Tomb. "You found it?"

Schala walked ahead of the others and, reaching back to the sabre she carried on her belt, she drew it and threw it the short distance that now separated them from the guards.

The Guard caught the weapon in mid air with practice ease and immediately proceeded to examine it, easily making out the writing on the hilt and the correct ID number.

"Seems you did find it." He commented, looking back at them. "I didn't think you'd make it there for a sec…" He continued but detecting the unfriendly stares of the teens and sensing a dangerous aura around them - they did survive their experience in the tombs after all - he bit down his comments.

"Well, then, if you follow me I'll take you to the Congressman's study." He offered and started walking towards the house, sending signs to the other guards to hold his post and let them through.

As the SeeDs and Rian followed the Guard through the grounds, random thoughts ran through their minds. _Both Balamb and Galbadia Gardens, joining forces with a Congressman of the Galbadian Government… Why…? _Were just some of them.

They were at the threshold when Rian fell a bit behind.

"Ahmm… Schala?" He called out causing the brunette to turn and look at him with inquiring eyes. "May I have a word?"

_What is it this time…?_ She thought and nodded her agreement, signalling the others to continue without them as she stepped to the side of the door

Schala looked at the raven haired young man closely, noticing his uncomfortable demeanour. He had been acting strangely all day, ever since the announcement of the dangerous mission they were about to undertake. Was that what it was all about? The mission? Assassinating the sorceress? She could imagine him not being too comfortable with that…

"I was wondering…" He started, drawing her from her thoughts and looking straight at her eyes. "… Is my contract still in effect?"

She had to admit that was not what she was expecting. _What is he going on about…?_ She couldn't stop but wonder. It was an odd subject to address at this time.

Despite her doubts and questions, Schala said nothing, simply answering him affirmatively with a nod.

"Then I have a request… an order, from your client if you prefer." He continued, causing the woman's frown to deepen.

He remained quiet for a few seconds as if waiting for her to say something.

"You should know by now…" She started, having to suppress a sigh. "Just tell us what to do and we'll get it done."

Rian gave her a sad smile, but he had been the one to bring up the contract and their client status. He hoped that they'd become more like friends with the passing time, but this meeting with his mother would put that on hold for a while.

"I don't want to stay in this house, you understand?" Her raised eyebrow betrayed her curiosity. "Whatever happens, you are not to leave me here…" He told her, his eyes the most serious she'd ever seen.

A few seconds passed before the brunette finally nodded her accordance which brought a relieved sigh from the young man.

"Thanks." He said in all honesty, and though Schala was a tad bit curious, she said nothing else.

"We should go back to the others…" He added, moving to enter the house with a pensive Schala behind him.

The Mansion's interior was as stunning as its exterior. Richly decorated walls, spotless granite floors covered in beautiful tapestries. As the two teens entered the main hall, they could no longer see the rest of the group nor any guard and Schala was starting to wonder in which of the several rooms, they could see from the lobby, were the remaining SeeDs.

"This way…" Rian stated, stepping towards the second door to their left. He opened it without even knocking and was rewarded with the faces of the other teens that had already made themselves comfortable around the room.

"Hey, what kept ya?" Sorphan asked, sitting at one of the sofas along with Quentin as Zanya remained standing, enjoying the view from one of the windows.

Schala dismissed his query with a shrug and locked her gaze on Rian that, intentionally or not, avoided her eyes. _How did he know where they were? And the bus we needed to take… has he been here before?_

Deciding against voicing her thoughts – it was none of her business, anyway – Schala examined the spacious room she and the others found themselves in. It was a cosy space, dark red carpeted floor, exquisite furniture and expensive paintings on the walls. She noticed a stone statue at a corner, finding it a bit out of place but disregarded her unspoken commentary almost immediately. She couldn't account for tastes.

Among the fine furniture adorning the room, her gaze locked and frowned at the desk on the other side of the room, her frown due to the person sitting at said desk. Inara was making herself particularly at ease, sitting on the chair with her feet up on the table, not a care in the world.

Schala's attention refocused as Rian passed in front of her and sat on one of the smaller sofas, sighing as his eyes stared forward at nothing in particular.

"I wonder how long we're going to have to wait..." Quentin commented, leaning back on his seat as the others, upon hearing his words, thought the same.

If they were expected, it shouldn't take long…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Come on in, Xu." Cid voiced as the dark haired SeeD knocked on the door.

Bowing her head slightly, Xu entered the Headmaster's office and approached his desk.

"Sir, the messengers have returned from Galbadia Garden." She informed.

Cid raised his eyes from the papers he was reading, now focusing his full attention on his second in command.

"What news did they bring back from Martine?" He inquired.

"Apparently Galbadia Garden's Headmistress is aware of the situation…" She relayed.

Cid smiled despite the situation.

"I'd be surprised if she wasn't." He commented. "Martine has the best and most thorough information network at her disposal… I wouldn't be surprised if she already has a plan to deal with the Sorceress threat." He added, leaning back in his chair.

"She apparently led that on as well." Xu mentioned.

The headmaster chuckled low, looking up to the ceiling as his thoughts wondered. On the Sorceress, on his wife and on the role of SeeD in the times to come.

"Sir…?"

He was almost startled as he forgot he wasn't alone. Sitting properly in his chair, he focused on the woman again.

"Is there anything else?" He asked, only then noticing the SeeD's concerned eyes.

"Raijin and Fujin also encountered Quentin in Galbadia…" She started, causing the older man to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "He ordered them to deliver this to you." She added and handed the envelope.

"His report…" He whispered low, wondering why the senior SeeD hadn't returned and delivered it himself as he picked up the envelope, opened it and read its contents.

The first part of the letter re-told their mission in Deling and the details of the Congressmen's meeting, all the way to the disturbing events that followed with the Sorceress's intervention and their hasted escape.

The Headmaster frowned at the sorceress's description. A slim woman in a long black dress and a red mask wasn't much to go on, but Cid couldn't shake off this dire foreboding. Something told him the sorceress was who he feared she was…

He continued reading till their arrival at Timber and their inability of continuing their journey. Then the broadcast and…

Cid raised his eyes to the dark-haired woman before him, seeing in her eyes that she knew they had met with the Timber team and the implications of it. Refocusing on the report, he got to the part where Quentin arrived in time to see Seifer being taken by the Sorceress and then their escape from town and arrival in Galbadia Garden, skipping over the mention of a strange dream…

Cid dropped the letter on his desk and leaned back on his chair. As Xu was about to ask about it, the headmaster stood up, signalling for her to read the report and walked towards the window, watching the Garden surrounded by the night's dark veil, Quentin's last written words lingering over his head.

"_Under the circumstances and from what we've seen__, Galbadia and the Sorceress's retaliation against Garden seems… unavoidable…" _

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Two figures approached the cliff's summit, a tall blond wearing a long light-grey trenchcoat and a slim woman in a long, tight black dress and wearing a strange red mask.

They came to face the crumbling ruins of the Tomb of the Unknown King and stopped momentarily.

"This is the place, my Knight…" Her words were spoken softly and lowly but still carried an indescribable influence over the young man. "… Here, you'll become stronger…"

The characteristic smirk reappeared in the Knight's face as his sea-green eyes locked on the ruins, a strange glow reflecting on them as the two stepped forward, into the debts of the Tomb…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What's taking so long…!?" Sorphan let out in frustration shared by many of the room's occupants.

Almost half an hour had past since they were led into the mansion by the guard and yet, no one had come to meet them.

"He is making us wait quite a bit." Quentin said, trying to soothe the mood that had been growing increasingly irritated.

Sorphan had sat and risen and sat back again a good five times, at least, and Zanya had started pacing back and forth near the windows so much the instructor was surprised she hadn't dig a hole on the floor.

Though Schala didn't show any annoyance, having leaned against the wall and not move a millimetre since, she was also growing impatient.

_First the test now this… What is he trying to accomplish…_ If it was to make them restless and edgy, he was succeeding…

Shaking her thoughts, Schala looked around the room once more. Something didn't add up the first time she entered and now she knew what. There were no pictures anywhere, of the congressman, of his family… nothing.

_I guess he doesn't like to mix business with family…_ She wondered, looking over as Inara didn't seem the least altered with waiting and Rian…

"Humph… It's always the same thing…" Rian vented out, rising from his seat the first time in thirty minutes and heading towards the door. "So discourteous… making people wait."

He moved so fast, barely anyone had the time to react.

"I'm going to have a little talk with our _host_."

"Rian!" Quentin managed to move just as the raven-haired man reached for the handle.

Though it was left unsaid, the instructor's intended words were obvious to the remaining SeeDs that knew Rian the longest.

_Don't do anything __rash…_

"Don't worry…" He told them without turning around. "This is my house…"

Disregarding the surprise he knew that statement surely caused, Rian opened the door and exited the room, closing it behind him. The silence was such inside the study that his first steps outside in the hall were heard by the teenagers.

Saying they were shocked would be quite the understatement, even Schala raised both eyebrows as his words registered.

_His house?_ She wondered. T_his means the Boss of the Owls, a resistance faction that opposes Galbadian occupation in Timber is actually the son of a Galbadian Congressman?!_

Inara straightened in the chair, lowering her feet to the ground as she thought about it. The raven-haired man's behaviour had seemed strange to her from the get go. His knowledge of Deling seemed to indicate he lived there a short time ago, but why would he become a SeeD in Balamb. It didn't make any sense unless she accounted for one _little _detail.

"Rian isn't a SeeD…" She said, supporting her elbows on the table and looking at the remaining SeeDs intently as most of them jumped in surprise and either turned towards her with wide eyes or stayed frozen to their spots. "… is he?"

Some of them swallowed in dry. Seemed like the cat was out of the bag…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Now, where is she hiding…_Rian wondered as he climbed the stairs towards the second floor, thinking on checking the second office of the house.

"Master Rian?!" A voice sounded behind him and he turned to find a familiar face.

"Nishida?" He uttered in surprise at the sight of the elegant, tall man with glasses and short dark brown hair, wearing a fine suit and carrying a briefcase in his hands. Rian shook off his surprise, however. "I didn't think you'd still be working for my mother… assistants usually never last more than a year…"

The man smiled. "The Congresswoman may be difficult at times…" He commented before focusing on Rian once more. "I'm surprised you came back… specially after last time…"

"Don't get me wrong, Nishida." Rian interrupted. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't be caught dead in this house…"

The older man frowned. The Young Master and his mother's parting a couple of years before was everything but pretty and Nishida was sure at the time the young man would never return to the manor unless tied up and gagged.

"Let's just say I was driven here by circumstances…" Rian added, turning and fully intending to continue his search.

Nishida sighed, watching him walk away. It saddened him seeing those two in bad terms. He had been with the Congresswoman almost three years now and, despite what she led on, her break up with her son had gotten to her. Not that she'd ever admit it.

In spite of the Young Master's wishes, he was very much like his mother.

They were both stubborn as hell…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"So that's it, huh…? It explains a lot, actually." Inara said having heard the SeeDs explanation on Rian's true identity and the nature of their relationship with him.

She smiled wider. To think that Rian was the rebel Caraway's kid that had ran off two years ago. She had even heard that the Congresswoman had hired Galbadia SeeDs to locate him, though if they were successful or not, she didn't know.

None of the teenagers knew exactly what had happened between Rian and his parents to make him leave, but one thing they knew for sure… He didn't like them very much if he joined an opposing resistance group…

However Schala saw things in a different perspective. She didn't wonder much in the past - it _was_ the past and it had nothing to do with her - but in the present and immediate future and truth was… if there were some degree of hostilities between Rian and his parents, the last thing she wanted was to be in the middle of it…

"You sure Rian will be alright?" Sorphan asked since he had been gone for quite a while.

"Rian is not your concern."

They were in such a trance, they didn't even notice the entrance of the woman that now stood before them. She was wearing a fine knee length black dress, with a silver belt at her waist and fancy black shoes. Her face showed her age to be around the mid-forties, she had shoulder length black hair, arranged flawlessly and her sharp blue eyes revealed an intense strictness and seriousness to them. This woman was used to getting her own way.

"Besides, he is not a SeeD, he lacks training and discipline and most likely only get in your way." The woman continued, faced with the SeeDs' inquiring expressions. Her tone was harsh and direct as her gaze ran through the teens as if evaluating each and every one of them. "For his sake and the mission's, it's best if he stays out of it!"

The SeeDs stared at the woman, surprised at her authoritarian attitude and demeanour.

"So you're Rian's mother? And… the congressman…?" Sorphan let out before he could stop himself and almost immediately regretted it as the woman's glare focused fully on him.

"Yes, I am Congresswoman Kaede Caraway." She answered promptly.

The teens shared glances wondering, as Schala did, on the bad relationship Rian held with his mother.

"As for my son, that is a family matter and does not concern you." She added more forcefully and they stopped looking at each other to focus on her once more. "Besides, we have far more important things to worry about."

Nodding and closing the matter, the SeeDs prepared to receive the Congresswoman's info but it seemed one was yet satisfied…

"Where _is_ Rian?" Schala spoke for the first time since the woman had entered and all eyes were suddenly on her.

Sure, the last thing Schala wanted was to be dragged right into the middle of their mother/son quarrel and if things were different she'd probably leave things as they were, but she realized that with the past few days some things had changed.

Even as Rian didn't need to come with them, didn't have to fight alongside them, he had and he wasn't half bad either. And although she agreed with the Congresswoman about him being safer not participating in the mission, that he lacked the training, she was fully intending on following his orders and not leaving him behind.

Not to mention the Congresswoman's attitude rubbed her the wrong way.

_Garden's directive and Rian's orders have the same value to us…_

Congresswoman Caraway stared at Schala intensely and the brunette answered the same exact way.

"I have told you, it is none of your business." Kaede stated, keeping her voice under check as her irritation rose. She didn't know why the SeeDs were being so defending of her son.

Obviously, she knew they had been initially hired by Rian's group for the attack on the president but that matter was well behind them now. Not to mention that their failure to achieve that goal didn't inspire much confidence in the Congresswoman.

"_It is_ our business since we are still bound by contract…" Schala frowned, her glare never faltering.

This woman was incredible! Schala had the feeling that she was used to be in complete control over everything and everyone around her. And that she liked it that way… situation that Rian would undoubtedly alter with his defiance.

Her respect for the raven haired grew as it seemed his principles and character ran deeply enough that he would even disobey such a woman.

"After this matter is resolved…" Schala continued, "… we will resume our earlier mission." She paused for a second, her eyes narrowing in accordance with the older woman's in front of her, "You'd do better as to not stand in our way, when that time comes."

Hell would freeze over before anyone held Schala down on a leash.

A chill ran through the room as the remaining teens' eyes widened even further. They'd rarely seen Schala this intimidating and were truly surprise that she would act like this in that particular situation and towards that particular person.

"And if I do… stand in your way…" The congresswoman replied causing all stared to shift her way as she kept her eyes levelled with the brunette's.

The woman wasn't about to back down though. Kaede Caraway had dealt with older and more threatening people than the SeeD leader.

But Schala wasn't one to back down either.

"Then, we'll act accordingly." She said simply, her voice rivalling with Shiva's icy tone.

The women kept their staring match, none of them even blinking as the air in the room got tenser and tenser. The other SeeDs all but stared at them two, their eyes moving to one to the other like they were watching a tennis game.

"Now, now, now… ease up, Ladies…" The new intervenor's voice carried throughout the silent room as Inara stood from the chair – where she had remained during the whole scene – and slowly rounded the desk.

She leaned against the table and stared at the others and though the rest of the teens looked at her, the two women had yet to tear their eyes from each other's.

"We are in the middle of a mission of the utmost importance…" She restarted, quoting what Quentin had first told her on the train earlier that day. "What do you say we save the catfight for afterwards, huh?" She added, crossing her arms over her chest with a teasing smirk on her face.

Schala's eye twitched at the red-head's choice of words as Kaede Caraway's frown deepened for the exact same reason. Though neither woman approved her phrasings, they had to admit to themselves that she made a valid point.

"Miss Kinneas is right…" The congresswoman admitted, ending eye contact after one last glare and looking at the mentioned sharpshooter who winked back. "We have only a few hours before we must undergo the mission and I must still inform you of the specifics."

Schala nodded in accordance and the remaining teens refocused their thoughts in the situation at hand, forgetting temporarily the earlier hostilities.

Congresswoman Caraway, seeing the SeeDs ready, turned to leave the room, gaining curious stares from the other occupants of the room.

"It is best if I show you where the mission will take place as I explain the procedure." She clarified as she passed through the still opened door.

The SeeDs shared glances and walked out as well after Schala started walking towards the door.

The Congresswoman turned her head as the teens re-entered the main hall. There was a man beside her, holding a long black coat for the woman to put on.

"Nishida, bring the car around." The woman ordered and with a slight bow, the man turned and left the house through another door. Without a word and obviously expecting the teens to follow, Kaede Caraway walked out of the front door into the driveway.

After a quick look at their leader, the SeeDs walked out of the house as well, seeing a black limousine parked outside. The congresswoman was already inside and the man from earlier was standing by the door, keeping it open and waiting for them to enter as well.

The teens entered the car and sat around were they could, making a point of sitting too close to the Congresswoman who had place on some glasses and was reading some papers. After the last SeeD was inside the car, Nishida closed the door and entered as well, on seating at the front.

"It'll only take a few minutes, it's quite close." He informed and the vehicle trembled slightly before driving off, exiting the grounds and into the streets of Deling.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The skeleton figure rose from his resting kneeling position as it felt someone trespassing on his domain.

_**Who dares to enter th… Wait… this power… it feels… familiar…**_

He thought as the two individuals walked over the drawbridge and into the main crypt. The tall young blond and the slim woman entered the wide chamber, noticing the obvious battle damage on the stone walls and floor.

_Someone had fun around here…_ Seifer thought as he stepped ahead.

"**Thou art ye whom dare to enter thy sacred Tombs…?"** A strong yet ghastly voice echoed throughout the room as both newcomers' attention was drawn to the entity across the tomb.

The King stepped over his own grave, coming into full view through the deficient light that penetrated the crypt through the many cracks and openings on the tall ceiling.

Though the sorceress barely reacted at his appearance, Seifer couldn't stop but stare at the undead carcass that stood before him.

From the rich and heavy armour he wore, it was obvious that the King had been a fierce warrior in his time. A few dents and cracks were visible in the incorporeal chest plate and remaining pieces, the chainmail underneath it was ripped and perforated in many places and a shredded long cape waved with inexistent wind. On his withered white haired head there was a priceless golden crown, obvious sign of royalty. Of the King himself, all that was left was his incorporeal skeleton, surrounded by a phantasmagorical green mist, glowing greenish orbs where his eyes should be and an almost see through impression.

Despite his decrepit appearance, an unnatural power flowed out of him, causing barely suppressed shivers to run up the blond's spine.

"**I see…**" The King continued since the trespassers remained silent and that familiarity he had felt earlier transformed into comprehension. He remembered where and when he had felt that power before. Such a strong mental influence was unforgettable and could only belong to one entity.

_**A Sorceress…**_

Edea's eyes fell on her knight and immediately Seifer's hesitation vanished like it had never been there in the first place. His eyes narrowed in determination as he gave a step towards the King. Only then did he seem to truly acknowledge the young man's presence.

The King could feel part of the woman's power in the boy and immediately concluded on the situation.

"**Hah… a wench and her mutt, huh…?**" He muttered loud enough so that both could hear him and gaining an uncharacteristic frown from Seifer.

However the King's attention switched towards the sorceress once again.

"**Have you come to finish what you've started centuries past, vile woman?**" He spat at her, his green orbs flashed red as the memories of his past life overcame his mind.

It almost felt like yesterday that the King was up and about, forming, conquering his kingdom from scratch, pacifying the lands and uniting the people under one rule. He lived his life on the battlefield and for a long time, life was good.

Till the day that woman showed up at his doorstep.

««Flashback»»

"Sir, sir!" A man in modest armour burst into the royal campaign tent, neglecting the usual propriety.

The two heavily armoured and incredibly powerful guardians stood before him, denying him passage with their imposing and intimidating figures.

"Let him pass!" A voice behind them said and both minotaurs stood aside to allow sight of the spokesman.

A man rose from his earlier sitting position on a richly decorated high back chair in the centre of the room. He wore full golden plated armour and a long red cape flowed behind him as he stood and approached the other man. His long dark red hair fell over his shoulders in waves under his luxurious golden crown with several priceless gems as his big sky blue eyes locked on the young soldier's frame.

The combatant knelt down in respect but the King faced his loyal warriors as close to equals as he could considering his status, and signalled the man to rise and explain the reason behind his earlier outburst.

"Sir, a woman has entered the camp!" He stated, gaining a curious look from the King and causing the beasts behind him to exchange glances. "She passed undetected by our patrols and guards and… she's coming this way…" He added but the King was already halfway out.

He swung the tent's opening away and his eyes scanned the compound, immediately detecting some commotion up ahead. The Brothers followed their liege across the camp as they drew near to the source of the disorder.

Passing one of the tents, the scene became visible. Most of the King's men were surrounding someone, though seemingly keeping some distance for some unknown reason. The centre of their attentions was a slim woman wearing appealing red clothes that revealed most of her chest, her arms and legs and that had two long extensions of fine fabric that fell behind her like a couple of wings. Her long blonde hair fell over her back and she wore a bright golden and red tiara over her forehead.

Her sharp green and yellow eyes found the King's and she started walking towards him, slowly as those around her parted ways to give her passage.

"**Big Bro…?**" Minotaur glanced at his older brother who nodded and approached the King.

"**Sir!**" Sacred whispered only to the King's ears. "**You must be cautious of this woman…**" The man half turned to acknowledge the Guardian's warning. "**… I sense a great power coming from her…**"

"Worry not, my large friend." The King somewhat discarded his warning. "She looks like a fine woman, and if she's powerful, all the better." The man added with a smirk as his lust overcame his common sense.

"**But…**" Sacred started but was silenced by the King's gesture.

The King straitened his armour and walked to meet the woman.

Before he could say anything, she closed the distance between them and spoke first.

"Powerful King, your reputation holds you as the bravest and strongest of warriors." She said in an entrancing voice, calm and appealing.

"You give me much honour with your praise." He admitted as he stared at her beauty, unable to tear his eyes from her. "To which do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He managed to ask despite his infatuation.

"I have come for you…" She started, her voice gaining in emotion as the King remained completely mesmerized. "… I want you to serve beside me… be my Knight, and we will rule all the land together…"

The men surrounding them didn't react, only the Brothers seemed somewhat immune to her influence. Realizing the danger their lord was in, they strengthened their bond as they stepped forward, standing beside the King with their weapons ready to attack the sorceress if necessary.

Snapping out of his trance, the King stepped back in a daze. Shaking his confusion away, he raised his eyes to the woman and a deep rage filled him.

She had dared to try and control him, and were it not for the Brothers she'd most likely succeeded.

"You vile wench!" He snapped and with it, the men around them awoke from their forced mental slumber, puzzled as to the situation. "Leave… abandon this lands or I swear by Hyne, we will drag you out by thee long hair!" He continued, enraged by her boldness and assumption she could take in seconds what he had taken decades to accomplish.

The sorceress narrowed her eyes, anger obvious in them as the Brothers and the King were the only ones that didn't back down from the potent and threatening energy she was releasing. Yet and despite her immense power and fury, she turned around and started to head out the camp, the soldiers once again parting in front of her without a word.

Yet, as she stopped halfway out, she turned her head toward her offenders.

"You have scorned me on this day…" Her voice, once captivating, now sounded venomous. "But the day will come when you will bow before me…"

And before anyone could react to her menacing warning, she turned and resumed walking, disappearing in a cloud of dark mist once outside the camp's borders.

A few years would pass before the sorceress's return to those lands, and that time she was no longer alone.

The King and his troops returned to their camp at the end of a strenuous day on the battle field. Though tiresome, it had been an important win and soon the battle for that portion of land would end in victory.

However as the men entered the compound they were invaded with a deep sense of heaviness, almost like they were being pressed against the ground. The two beasts that walked alongside the humans snapped in attention, drawing their blood splattered battle maces and advancing in the camp.

The King, the only other immune to the strange spell, walked with the Brothers, alert to any possible threat.

Once they reached the middle of the camp, near the King's tent, they saw two other people that didn't seem affected. The Minotaurs stood ready to defend themselves as the King's eyes widened in recognition of, at least one of them.

_That… woman…_ He thought in anger as the sorceress stood before him.

She turned and showed an evil smile. Next to her was a man, a bulky, over muscled man with heavy tanned skin and barbarian armour. Seemed the sorceress had found a substitute Knight.

"I have longed for this day…" She started, her voice filled with bitterness. "Now you will bow to me!"

"Do your worst!" The King spat out as he stepped forward, motion copied by her new knight.

The Brothers moved to aid him but the King halted them.

"Do not interfere…" He told them. He had no intentions to be a sorceress's lapdog, but there was something to be said about royalty's honour, and pride. She had picked that big pile of muscles to a position she had wanted him to occupy.

Was the King to assume this brainless brute was worthy of the same things he was? Hell no!

Both men stood before each other and a violent battle ensued. The Knight was very strong and his swigs carried a devastating blow, but the King was skilled and even in heavy armour, he was able to evade, defend and attack his opponent.

The fight was fierce, both warriors had the experience of war upon them and neither backed down or hesitated, but as it progressed the combatants grew tired, the King at a considerable disadvantage due to his strenuous day.

The Knight gathered the remains of his strength for one last swing but in an unexpected demonstration of agility, the King ducked under the blade, bringing his own around and stabbing it in the other man's chest.

The battle ended and the King strained to stand upright, dislodging his blade from the man's lifeless body, which dropped heavily on the floor, and turned to face the sorceress.

The woman's face was unreadable but a smile adorned her fine features.

"You are powerful indeed… the only one worthy to be my Knight…" She said as she walked towards him slowly, her voice once more sweet and alluring. "I shall give you one more chance to reconsider… join me!"

The Brothers stepped forward, standing by his side but the King raised his hand to stop them. He was smirking, though.

"Nuts!" He simply replied.

The emotionless mask on the sorceress's face faltered as those words confused her. Even the Minotaurs were smiling now, recognizing the man that had defeated them before as a strong and honourable one.

However he had suffered serious injuries on his battle with the Knight and it could be dangerous if he didn't received treatment soon.

The sorceress narrowed her eyes as she realized that once again she had been denied. Her anger rose as it focused on the King and the Guardians stood before him protectively.

But the woman had gained power over the years. With a swing of her hand, the beasts were thrown back and once they recovered, they were unable to get close to their King.

"**SIR!**" Both Brothers shouted as the Sorceress moved closer, the King barely being able to remain standing.

"Bow before me!" She demanded.

"Never!" He defiantly denied, though it took all his strength to keep from collapsing onto the floor.

"Then… you will FALL!" She angrily yelled as she prepared to cast a certainly deadly spell.

In a spur of desperation, the King raised his valorous blade to strike at the woman in front of him. Caught by surprise, the sorceress could only back away barely in time to avoid being hit.

The King was driven by a sudden adrenaline rush as he charged at the Sorceress, her barely having time to cast a protective spell on herself as he kept attacking her with the last of his strengths.

He attacked again and again, but her shield held his every blow. His body was starting to give in to the tiredness and strain and his strikes came weaker and slower with every attempt. The Brothers struggled to reach him, to break the strange force that kept them apart from their master, but it was no use.

They could do nothing to help him as he almost stumbled backwards, finally drained and using all his remaining strength to stand. It was actually more out of stubbornness that he hadn't collapsed yet.

The Sorceress stepped forward, now sure that he wouldn't try to strike at her again. She didn't even know _how_ or _where_ he had found the power to make those last attacks, she couldn't understand his need to defy her. It was beyond her comprehension.

Though, it hardly mattered now. He wouldn't be able to defend against her now, however… death was too good for him, for one that had shamed her so.

No… it'd be a direst fate that which awaited him…

The sorceress stood beside the King as she raised her arms and focused her power on an unknown spell. The King's eyes widened as an evil smile adorned the sorceress's features and, what seemed almost like a slow motion movement, the woman lowered her hands, a concentrated ball of light descending on the King's frame.

There was a bright flash of light and when the Brothers recovered their sight, they only saw a cloud of smoke dissipating in the air and the unmoving body of their lord.

"**SIR!**" They cried out as they rushed to his side as the last traces of life faded from him.

"The Tomb… I wish… to rest next to… next to my men… my fallen men…" He managed to say between spats of blood and then, his life was extinguished…

««End of Flashback»»

It was true, a sorceress had been responsible for his death so long ago. Her last attack took his life but left something behind. He was unable to cross over, unable to finally rest in peace, bound to roam the earth.

Were it not for his Guardians, the Brothers who dedicated their lives to guard his grave, preventing his confused and enraged spirit to ravage the earth, as the sorceress most likely intended.

Now after centuries passed, he had focused his mind and power and this new sorceress appeared to take it all back again. He would see that it would not come to pass.

"We have come for your power… it will serve me well." This present sorceress's voice sounded as entrancing as it once had been.

"**I would not serve you before, I shan't now!**" The King vehemently replied, barely controlling his anger.

"You will serve me, then." Seifer spoke. Having felt a bit ignored, the blond made so that he would be taken seriously.

"**Ah… So it's a tamed mutt…**" The King slowly turned to focus on Seifer, his glowing orbs shone as it felt like he was seeing right through his soul. "**And what false promises has the wench made to earn your favour?**"

Seifer frowned but didn't answer. There was indeed a promise, a dream to be fulfilled but despite the King's words, at this time, and with the Sorceress behind him giving him strength, he had no doubt they would come true.

"**Hah, foolish one…**" The King shook his head. His reaction was all the answer he needed. "**You have nothing to gain in deals with her kind… she'll use and abuse you then toss you aside when your usefulness proves ended…**"

His newfound abilities gave the King a new perspective. Besides the physical, he could see more, energies, power and potential. This boy had a lot of all of them and he could also feel the good in him, the honour and valour.

"Save your breath… if you have any…" Seifer didn't seem to consider his words, however. His eyes reflected a strange, dark glow as he stepped forward, gunblade drawn and getting ready to attack.

_**Her hold on him is strong…**_ The King wondered as he stepped forward as well and, stretching his skeleton hand to the side, out of thin air showed a mist and soon a stunning looking sword, incrusted with precious gems and with a blade unspoiled by time, sharp and deadly.

"**Very well then…**" The King got hold of his mystic weapon, which glowed at his skinless touch. "**Let's see whom among us is the better man!**"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We're here." Nishida informed and the automobile stopped at the side of the street.

Without waiting for the man to get out and open the door to them, which was obvious he was about to do, Sorphan opened the door and stepped out, followed by his companions who were more than happy to leave the inside of the car.

They had been driving for hardly five minutes, but those were the longest five minutes of each of their lives. They were passed in absolute silence and the tension was knife cutting.

Hiding a small smile, Nishida walked around the car to open the door for the Congresswoman. Kaede Caraway stepped out of the limousine and approached the teens that were looking around.

Quentin had recognized that place immediately. He had been there just a couple of days ago, and left in a hurry. They were in front of the presidential palace, area that was mostly clear of people at that time of the afternoon. There weren't even many guards around the plaza in front of the palace's gates.

"I will explain the plan now…" The congresswoman started, standing in front of the teenagers and getting their full attention.

"As I'm sure you know… The Galbadian government has reached an agreement, a type of partnership with Sorceress Edea." She started.

The SeeDs listened intently, not letting one word slip. But as they learned the name of the sorceress for the very first time, one among them became increasingly uncomfortable.

As she heard that name, Inara's mind went into overdrive. _Sorceress Edea…? As in… Edea Kramer…?! Matron…?! No way…_ She thought as her eyes widened in shock and she barely registered the Congresswoman's following words.

"To celebrate that arrangement, there will be a ceremony tonight to introduce the Sorceress to the people and the world…" Congresswoman Caraway continued, signalling the building behind the teens. "It will be held at the Presidential Palace and then a parade will follow in which the Sorceress herself will participate. And it is at that time that the plan will be placed into motion."

Kaede Caraway looked at the SeeDs and, certain that she had their full and undivided attention, she continued.

"You will split into two teams. One, the sniper team, will wait hidden in the crowd till the parade starts. Once the convoy of floats and performers exit the grounds of the Palace, you will have to sneak in undetected." Her gaze skipped over to Inara as she would be the key member of said team.

For a second she thought she had caught a strange expression on the red head, but as it apparently faded into her characteristic carefree attitude, Kaede thought little of it.

"With everyone's eyes on the spectacle, sneaking in should not present a problem." She continued her explanation. "Be sure to avoid any commotion before those gates open." She added, directing her strict gaze over the teens. "If the ceremony gets cancelled, that will be the end of it."

The SeeDs nodded, comprehending the situation.

"Once inside the compound, the sniper team will head for the roof…" She instructed, standing aside so that the place in question became visible to all of them. "… and enter the palace through an access corridor. There you will find a hatch that leads to the clocktower which houses a carousel clock." Kaede's eyes shifted to the teens once more. "I have arranged it so there will be a sniper rifle at that location. Once you acquire the position and the weapon, you are to stand by until exactly 20:00."

She started moving in the general direction of the car, the SeeDs following her every move as they processed the information.

"That's when the carousel will activate and rise, providing you with a clean view of this avenue all the way to the Golden Gate." The Congresswoman pointed at the golden archway on top of the ascending hill as the teens followed her gaze. "At that time, the second team, the gateway team, will already be in position inside the gate."

She turned to look back at the SeeDs.

"There's a control panel inside the gateway that will lower the gates. Now here is the essence of this plan…" She looked at them intently. "There will be no room for errors."

"The parade will circle the city and at exactly 20:00, the Sorceress's float is going to pass under the gate. The gateway team must activate the controls at precisely that time and so trapping her inside the gates." Turning back to Inara, she continued. "Also at that time, the carousel clock will rise and give the sniper a clear shot at the Sorceress."

"Inara Kinneas will take the opportunity and kill the Sorceress, and the mission will be finished." The Congresswoman finished the relay of the plan and was already standing by the car as the SeeDs stood there, looking ahead and processing all that they were about to undertake.

The mission, the plan was all intrinsically locked in their minds as they replayed it again, analysing every aspect of it.

Schala looked at the Congresswoman with studious eyes. _They sure planned this to the second…_

"If there aren't any questions, I will show you the access to the gateway." Caraway added before re-entering the car.

"Please." Nishida ushered them inside and the SeeDs obliged.

Once they had all gotten in, the vehicle started to move, turning in the plaza and climbing the hill towards the archway. Once again the interior of the car fell in a sepulchral silence, one that not even Sorphan dared to break.

When someone did speak, the teens were initially so surprised they barely registered.

"A lot of time and effort was spent in the organization of this plan…" It was Congresswoman Caraway that spoke. "However, no plan is foolproof…" She turned her head in her seat so that her penetrating gaze reached every other occupant. "If the sniper fails or any other eventuality occurs, a direct assault on the sorceress must be taken immediately, before the guards can react."

"The Sorceress matter must be ended tonight!" She emphasized as the car stopped again.

Nishida stepped out to open the door to them and the SeeDs followed suit. However, the Congresswoman did not step out after them, staying in her seat as her assistant closed the door behind the teens.

"There is the entrance to the gateway." Nishida told them, signalling a side access door. "Arrangements have been made so it is opened tonight before the designated time." He informed. "It is advisable you are at your positions as early as possible and stand by."

The teens nodded causing the man to nod as well.

"That is all for now. You are dismissed till 1900 hours, time when you're to report to the manor for final instruction." He instructed causing the SeeDs to relax a bit and check their watches for the present time.

It was still little over 17:30.

"Till then…" He added before turning and entering the car that didn't leave immediately.

They saw as the back window lowered and the Congresswoman's barely visible face moved to add, "Stay out of trouble." She said just as the limousine drove off, leaving the teens alone and staring back at it.

They were not very pleased at the implication.

"Who does she think we are…?" Sorphan let out as the car fell outta sight.

"We are SeeDs!" Zanya shouted, receiving a slap on the back of her neck as a consequence.

Turning around mad, her anger vanished immediately when she met Schala's stern eyes.

Being a SeeD wasn't something they wanted to publicly announce to the whole Deling population at that time.

Zanya lowered her head in shame, muttering an apology as Sorphan, apparently already forgotten of the Congresswoman's insinuation, turned around to face the remaining teens.

"Can we check out the city? We still have time." The brunet exclaimed, hopeful he could explore that place, especially since he wasn't able to do so in Galbadia Garden earlier that day.

All turned to Schala, waiting for her approval. The young woman absentmindedly shrugged in reply, which everyone took as a yes.

"Let's go, then!" Inara cheered, rushing towards Sorphan and grabbing his arm and making the brunet tense. He let himself be half-dragged as the red headed sharpshooter strolled down the street and back into the busy streets of Deling that, with the starting setting sun, had begun to refill with people.

"I'll show y'all the best places!" She continued under the teens' surprised eyes and slightly fearsome of her cheerfulness, something they were used to see just in Sorphan.

Still, they followed them.

"And we're gonna have _SO_ much fun!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The wind blew strongly on the summit of the cliff as the two figures exited the ruins.

The Sorceress walked calmly as beside her, her Knight walked with a new sense of purpose and accomplishment. The King had been vanquished and now served a new master.

_You ended up serving me after__ all… one way or the other…_ She thought as she glanced at her Knight who had fought valiantly against such an extraordinary opponent.

Seifer's clothes still revealed the signs of his earlier battle, a fierce and the most challenging duel he had faced lately… Only one other was able to push him to his limits like the King just had…

_Someone…_

A surge of emotion burst inside him and Seifer stopped walking for a moment as his thoughts wondered… Wondered to the past, just a few days ago… on the cliffs near Balamb Garden…

Noticing her Knight's halt, the Sorceress turned and focused her power once she saw the young man's mind escaping her control.

The glow Seifer's eyes had gained there for a second, the same shine that once were so characteristic of him, vanished… disappeared completely at his lady's wishes. Seifer started walking again, his earlier musings forgotten like they had never existed in the first place.

But there was one who would remember those thoughts, those precious memories that one day might influence the young man's fate.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kaede Caraway had barely set one foot inside her own house when she heard someone stomping his way towards her, that person's tone anything but friendly.

"Where are they?!" Rian demanded, his voice loud especially considering he was quite near the woman he was addressing.

"Long time no see." She greeted, ignoring his hostile demeanour and barely even reacting to his presence as she slowly removed her coat to Nishida's hands.

"As for the SeeDs, they are preparing for their mission." She added calmly, still not looking him in the eyes and already waiting for his next reaction.

"I'm going with them!" He said out loud and defiantly.

Rian knew well enough that his mother would do everything in her power to prevent him from going, from doing what he wanted, from going against her wishes… from doing anything that could jeopardize her political career…

A Congressman's son being caught in an attack against the Government would certainly earn her a black smudge on her record.

"And do what exactly, get in their way?" She replied coldly, making the young man that had motioned to leave, halt and turn.

Rian winced slightly. True, he wasn't a SeeD but surely there'd be something he could do to help them out.

"Hahahah…" The woman let out a harsh laugh, cutting off any attempts from the young man to convince her, and himself.

"Really boy, you are only fooling yourself." She added in a mean amusement, turning serious almost immediately after. "These are trained professionals on a decisive mission" She continued in all her strictness. "The last thing they need now is to worry about _YOU_!"

Those words hit Rian like a cold water bucket. He'd been lying if he said that never crossed his mind, that he slowed them down… if only he could do something, something to help them in some way…

Kaede watched her pensive son. He was spirited and impulsive and had to understand that there were more important things that one's wants and beliefs… Such was the way of the world…

"Just let the professionals deal with it… it's safer that way." She added, in a way, to try and comfort him.

Just because she was a high career woman, ruthless and strict, didn't mean she didn't care for her son. She was a mother even though most around her, and herself on occasion, forgot about that. She wanted, above all, to keep him out of harm's way and would do anything in her power to do so.

She walked into her study without another word, with Nishida close behind her. The man gave Rian a sympathetic look as he passed by him, knowing the Congresswoman's words hit a sensitive spot. It was just her way to get her points across.

Now, Rian was alone in the middle of the hall, his mind focusing on just one thing, despite his earlier turmoil.

_I will be useful to them…_ He thought, a new wave of determination flowing through him as he turned and headed towards the main staircase. _I'll show them all!_

And he climbed the stairs two at a time, with the purpose of turning that house upside down for any leverage over the situation he could acquire.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A red hooded figure with a large yellow hat rushed out of the lift and into the dark, subterranean room, rounding the large central structure to stand in front of the pod-like chamber that opened to reveal a large, pale yellow skinned humanoid shape, with long hands.

"Garden Master…" That man said to the large Shumi encased in the metallic shell. "… One of the messenger teams dispatched yesterday has returned!" He informed.

"WHAT OF IT?!" NORG almost barked in response, which would make the other man jump was he not used to this kind of treatment.

"Sir, it's confirmed the Sorceress has allied herself with the Galbadian Government…"

"I KNOW THAT ALREADY!!" The Garden Master abruptly interrupted, making the man almost flinch. "STOP WASTING MY TIME!!"

"S-Sir…" He took a second to compose himself. "… it is possible the Galbadian SeeDs might try something against the Sorceress…" He paused as his superior seemed almost ready to blow. "… a-and H-Headmaster Cid… H-He seems t-to approve of it…"

"BUJURURURU!!" All the Garden Faculty members in the room fled in terror as NORG stormed inside his protective case, pressing switches at random and causing lasers to roam around the room.

"CID AND MARTINE!!" He scoffed in anger. "THEY WILL BRING RUIN TO MY GARDENS!!" His rage seemed to calm as his thoughts focused on what to do next.

"THE WOMAN IS OUT OF MY REACH, FOR THE MOMENT…" He reasoned, his eyes still showing his fury. "BUT I WON'T ALLOW THIS FACILITY TO BE DESTROYED… I'VE INVESTED TOO MUCH IN IT!!"

"What do we do then, Sir?" A braver Faculty member still remained in the room, needing all his courage to stay behind and try to calm their master down.

NORG's large beady eyes focused on the smaller man as he considered his words.

"SEND WORD TO ALL FACULTY MEMBERS…" He started. "… INITIALIZE PLAN GAMMA!" He instructed, causing the man to widen his hidden eyes.

_Plan Gamma means…_ He didn't have much time to contemplate on the consequences of that decision as the Garden Master's glare made him carry out his orders immediately.

"THIS IS MY GARDEN!!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Fun_, wouldn't be the word Schala would use to describe the almost hour and a half spent following the red headed sharpshooter all around downtown Deling.

They had barely stopped for a second, visiting shops – where she delighted herself in trying the most provocative clothes -, restaurants and bars – where she only restrained herself from eating and drinking with a few couples of stern and warning glares from both Schala and Quentin, that had also to intervene with the other two SeeDs who were getting carried away along with their guide.

Now, _finally_, they were heading back to the Caraway mansion and they could focus on truly important matters, not in which coloured dress was more appealing…

As the entered the grounds no word was necessary for them to gain access to the house. The guards all nodded at their passage but otherwise remained immobile at their posts. Getting inside the manor once more, the SeeDs proceeded to the study they had been at before and entered the room without ceremonies.

This time the study wasn't empty as before. The Congresswoman, who sat by her desk at the end of the room, didn't even raise her head from the papers she was reading and it was Nishida that signalled for them to approach.

A couple of minutes later, the woman shuffled the documents in front of her and handed them over to his assistant that arranged them and place them away in a briefcase and only then did Kaede Caraway acknowledge the teens' presence.

"If everyone's ready, let's form the teams and get into position." She didn't beat around the bush. "The sooner you are at your posts the less attention you'll attract to yourselves."

She rose from her chair and rounded the desk, standing before them.

"The sniper team will be constituted by the sniper, obviously, and the leader…" She paused for a moment as she analysed the teens. She had a fair certainty that the brunette in black leather was the leader since all seemed to look up to her for guidance and confirmation.

Kaede didn't know exactly if she liked the young woman. In one hand she revealed an authority and refusal to give in necessary in a leader and without a doubt, an asset for a mission of this calibre. However Schala's defiance towards herself was something the Congresswoman, by norm, frowned upon.

"The leader's role is vital." She continued after a short pause. "As I mentioned before, in case the plan fails someway, you'll need to attack the sorceress directly…" Her eyes and curiously all of the others' SeeDs' eyes turned to Schala as she locked her stormy blue on the Congresswoman.

All already knew, from her earlier speech, what was coming next.

"That part befalls on the leader."

Again, all eyes shifted from Congresswoman Caraway to focus on Schala and a simple nod sufficed to signal not only her understanding but also her compliance.

When the time would come to perform a direct assault against the sorceress, Schala would be the first to act.

The Congresswoman nodded, accepting the SeeDs' decision despite her reservations.

"As I already said, eliminating the sorceress is the top priority, even if that implies revealing our identities." She told them, yes because if their plan failed the Congresswoman could also become compromised.

Kaede's eyes scanned the room and observed with concealed satisfaction that the SeeDs didn't back down when faced with adversities.

"The gateway team will be formed by the remaining teens…" She added looking at the rest of them. "If it becomes necessary to attack the Sorceress head on, you're position on the gate will be essential to provide backup for your leader."

"As for who will lead that team, I'll leave that up to you." She mentioned and the three SeeDs that formed said team all looked to Schala for a sign, anything that would hint as to who would lead the team.

Quentin was the logical choice, he had seniority, experience… common sense. Zanya had the attack power and Sorphan his unbeatable conviction to take his mission to the end. However, they got nothing more that a stern glance that told them she would decide later.

"Very well, if there aren't anymore questions I believe that's all." Kaede motioned to leave but halted as Schala spoke.

"Congresswoman Caraway?" She called out and the woman turned to face her. There was something that had been nagging the brunette for the last hour or so. "Why was it decided to have such an extravagant parade for the sorceress?" She asked.

Sorceresses throughout history had always been a symbol for power and destruction and as so, they had never been accepted by the people, always a sign of fear and terror. It didn't make much sense that this one wanted all this attention, it just didn't.

The Congresswoman sighed as she pondered her words carefully.

"It is the Sorceress's intention to establish her base in Galbadia Garden and has chosen to have this _extravagant parade_ to make her stand, come forward with her intentions… spread her word and power…" With one last glance to the room, Kaede Caraway left the study as Nishida lingered behind.

Schala turned to Inara. _So that's the main reason Galbadia Garden's Headmistress is so determined to get rid of the sorceress…_ She wondered as a very small part of her started to doubt Headmistress's Martine reasons for the assassination.

"The parade should start in about half an hour, please proceed to your positions as soon as possible so you're ready." Nishida, who most of them forgot was still in the room, suggested. "The door to the inside of the gateway should be opened. The gate controls are on the upper floor, the access staircase shouldn't be hard to find." He added then, seeing there weren't anymore questions, bowed slightly and turned to leave.

"Good luck." He said as he closed the door behind him.

The SeeDs psyched themselves up for the upcoming mission, each replaying their part in their minds.

"So…" Sorphan started, dragging everyone from their thoughts. "… who's gonna lead the gateway team?" He asked and once again, the other SeeDs' eyes fell on Schala.

Resisting a sigh and in a way ignoring the hopeful look Zanya send her way as she started stretching her muscles, Schala turned to Quentin.

"Quentin, you're in charge." She said, once again ignoring Zanya's disappointed grunt.

The instructor nodded back and the SeeDs got ready to leave.

"You better go first, blend into the crowd." Quentin added. "We'll follow you in a little while, as to not arouse suspicion."

Nodding her accordance, Schala started to leave as Inara followed her out, not before turning to the remaining SeeDs and blowing off a kiss while looking intently at Sorphan.

"Catch'ya later." And she left.

Sorphan tensed and Zanya snickered while Quentin shook his head. He was indeed the logical choice, Hyne knew what would happen if they were left without supervision.

"Alright, let's move out." He added at last and the three teens headed for the door when this suddenly opened and someone rushed in.

"Huff… thought I wouldn't make it there for a sec." Rian let out as he composed himself from his little run.

"Rian, you're alright!" Sorphan burst out in relieve shared with the others. They hadn't seen him ever since they arrived and was good to see that he wasn't indeed tied up and gagged somewhere so that he couldn't escape his mother's grasp.

"Yeah…" He let out, looking across the room. "Where's Schala?" He asked causing the teens to look at each other. "What has that woman told you?" He added, frowning at their secretive reactions.

"What's goi…" He started but Quentin cut in.

"Sorry Rian, but we've got to get going." He said and motioned to walk around the younger man when he stepped deliberately in his way.

"Hold on, I'm going with you." He said to which the instructor frowned. "I have this!" He added proudly revealing a strange looking blue bangle with some strange markings.

"What is that?" Sorphan asked, making Quentin turn his head to give him a glare.

The last thing they should be doing was encouraging him.

"Glad you asked." He smiled wide. "This is an Odine Bangle." Faced with the SeeDs' confused stares, from whom only Zanya showed some recognition of the name, he continued. "This is supposed to suppress the sorceress's powers rendering her weak, though it hasn't been tested. If you're going to face her, this could come in handy, don't you think?"

Quentin's frown deepened as Rian kept talking and this time he had to direct his glare at Zanya as she led him on.

"If it's Odine brand, it should be pretty effective." She pointed out. "They're nº1 when it comes magical goods."

"Right, right!" Rian cheered on, pleased that his finding was going to some use. "I found it in that woman's room… it's the kind of thing she should have given you to use on the mission, don't you think?"

That was it, Quentin had had enough.

"So what's your plan? How exactly are you planning on making the Sorceress put it on, huh?" He said sternly and louder that they were used to hear from him.

"W-Well…" Rian hesitated, being caught a bit off guard. "Well, that's what we're going to discuss!" He continued with more confidence, frowning as the blond simply shook his head.

"We don't have time for this." He raised his eyes to meet dark chocolate ones. "We have an important operation to carry out and don't have time to waste on your attempts to surpass or get back at your mother!" He said almost without thinking, something rather uncharacteristic of him.

Frustration had been building up inside Quentin ever since Rian showed up with that bangle and an improvised and undefined plan. They had a good enough plan already and the raven haired young man's actions just seemed like a desperate effort from a spoiled brat that thinks that he's smarter than everybody else. His already sensitive nerves overreacted and his deeply buried thoughts and impressions came out without his approval.

He breathed deep, avoiding Rian's and the other's eyes as he calmed down.

Rian's expression was unreadable as the instructor continued.

"We are professionals… let us handle this." He added looking straight into the other man's eyes. "Let's go." He told the others and left, Sorphan and Zanya stepping behind him while sending Rian apologetic looks.

Once they were out of the room, Rian walked near one of the couches and almost collapsed over it, supporting himself on its back and breathing deeply. The fact that Quentin used his mother's same words didn't help his nerves as he willed himself to calm down.

Unknowingly to him, someone had listened in to the loud discussion as that person stood unseen by the doorframe, watching the young man's beat up form.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun was setting over the streets of Deling and the difference in the city was enormous. People filled the sidewalks and gardens all around, the shops were fumy opened, the restaurants and bars were packed, and the streets, especially near the Presidential Palace, were overflowing.

Schala and Inara had no problem blending in the crowd and cutting through so they'd be as close to the Presidential Residence's gates as possible without attracting too much attention to themselves.

The people around them were cheering and in a constant mental state of celebration, something that somehow confused Schala. Were they not aware of whom they were rooting for?

Inara however remained unusually quiet ever since they left the Caraway manor. In fact, she had been awfully quiet ever since they met with the Congresswoman, leaving Schala to wonder if the seriousness of the mission really had gotten through to her.

Once the brunette was satisfied with their position, they could clearly see the roof of the Palace and the gates. When the parade commenced, they would be in a perfect position to rush inside the grounds.

Deciding it best to review the plan with the red head, she still seemed too thoughtful, Schala turned to Inara.

"I'll make the first charge when we make the full-on attack." She said and the sharpshooter's attention finally seemed to focus on her. "I'll try to buy some time then you and the others will back me up." She added, still looking at the other woman.

"That won't be necessary…" Inara told her, the confident smirk on her face replacing the somewhat hesitant look from before. "I'll get the job done."

Both women kept their stare till Schala broke it with a nod. She wasn't sure the sharpshooter would be able to do as she claimed, there were no guarantees. Whatever the outcome, they'd be ready for it.

Schala then turned back to keep watch of the palace, her eyes attentive to the crowd and guards movements when Inara's voice drew her off her thoughts.

"We've been trained… as SeeDs… not to question our mission, right?" She let out, almost as if thinking out loud, making Schala turn and look at her with a look both confused and curious. "Just to blindly obey, huh?"

Schala frowned. True, SeeDs are not supposed to question their mission but Headmaster Cid said so himself, they weren't machines… she supposed there were times when one must do what's most appropriate to the situation. _That's_ what they were trained for.

This mission, this assassination would indeed be one of those cases where doubts could occur…

"But, if like…" The red head continued. "… your enemies were pure evil, then it wouldn't matter, right? There'd be no worries, no reservations on what must be done… right?" She asked, looking straight to the brunette's eyes.

Schala's frown deepened. _Pure evil…? Is there such a thing…?_ She wondered, considering her query.

_Right or wrong, good or evil… it's only a matter of perception._

Schala's thoughts strayed as she turned forwards again, practically forgetting she was asked a question. Inara herself wasn't truly expecting an answer, more like she was just airing her thoughts.

_Two sides that oppose each other may just have different points of view… different standpoints… different goals… _

_There's no such thing as pure evil…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Rian breathed deep, regaining his composure as he stepped away from the couch, which he used to sustain his frame.

Quentin's words cut deep, but he wasn't ready to give in yet. He still had something to prove, even if it was more a question of proving it to himself than to the SeeDs and his mother.

_It's not like I don't have a plan… as vague as it might be…_

His thoughts were interrupted as someone entered the study, the steady footsteps immediately recognized by the raven haired young man.

"So, they did leave you behind after all… just like I said they would…" His mother approached him but he kept his back turned, he didn't want her to see his uncertain face.

"It's for the best…" She added, stretching her hand towards his shoulder in comfort.

But he shoved it aside, still refusing to face her. _Best for whom?_ He thought unfairly. He wasn't even giving her a chance, which hurt her deeply even if she didn't show it.

Kaede Caraway stepped back, being denied by her own son. But still, she thought of his safety above all as she walked away, towards the door.

She stopped under the threshold, silently browsing through the set of keys she removed from her pocket.

"It'll be chaos out there soon." She commented, finding the key she was looking for and stepping out of the room. "You'll be safe here." She added with one last look before closing the door.

A feeling ran through the young man at her last words, something telling him she was up to something.

Rian turned just as his mother locked the door, trapping him inside the study.

"She actually locked me in…" He said as he slowly walked to the door and tried the handle. Verifying his fears, he turned his back to it, leaning against the wood.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Congresswoman…?!" Nishida let out as the woman was standing with her back against the door she had just locked.

"It's better this way…" She simply said, closing her eyes.

_Even if he hates me… at least he'll be safe__._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"This isn't over… not yet!"

If there was something Rian had in common with his mother, was his stubbornness. He wasn't ready to give up just yet.

He leaned off the door and walked towards a statue to his left, in the corner of the room. He just stood there, looking at the stone woman with her arm outstretched.

A small smiled adorned his lips as he remember something from so long ago. His father, though he always appeared polite and collected, had an adventurous side to him as well. In one of their play games, he had showed Rian this secret passage and they'd have little adventures exploring the sewers of the city.

After his death when Rian was only five and after the clashes started with his mother, he'd often use that passage to escape life on the manor. He had inclusively used that same escape route to run away from home, two years ago.

Rian reached his hand out to the statue's, shaking it and pulling it down. Seconds after the stone receded inside the wall, revealing the access to an underground channel that would lead to the sewers.

He descended into the depths of the passageway, recalling the mental map of the sewer systems, one he had spent years exploring.

_Take a left then a right… forward towards the gateway… left towards the Presidential Palace…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The three teens forming the gateway team walked up the street towards the golden gate at a normal pace, slightly scattered as to not give the impression of a group to the many civilian and occasional soldier wandering the streets.

Approaching the Gateway, Quentin that had taken the lead, walked casually near the access door and, when there weren't anyone around, he quickly opened the door and stepped inside.

There was a slightly wide division, nothing extraordinary. A simple room and, behind the door he used to get in, there were some stairs. A set leading bellow, from the smell, most likely to the sewer system, another leading up, probably towards the room with the control panel the Congresswoman's assistant had mentioned.

He stood in alert and his hand went to his whip as he heard movement from the other side of the door. Moments after the door opened and Sorphan sneaked inside, followed closely by Zanya, who quickly closed the door behind her.

"Here we are." The blonde martial artist commented. "We're on standby till twenty hundred hours, right? What a drag… is it really necessary three people to push a button?" She aired out.

It wasn't the most enthusiastic assignment that was for sure. And Sorphan shared her feelings as he looked around, searching for something to entertain his mind till action time.

"Let's just get up there." Quentin instructed as he was already climbing the stairs and the other two soon followed after him.

The upper room was as exciting as the lower, but in addition, it had a control panel and a narrow window that, and Sorphan confirmed it immediately, gave them a line of sight to the Presidential Residence and the avenue connecting the two richly architectural structures.

As both Zanya and Sorphan looked outside, watching the increasing crowd gathering on the plaza, Quentin was pensive.

His mind kept replaying the last events on the Caraway house and his words to Rian.

_Maybe I was too hard on him. I certainly didn't mean to say all that… It's this mission, it's getting me too much on edge… _He reasoned eventually.

"Instructor, what's up?" Zanya asked suddenly, seeing his thoughtful and troubled look and drawing the other blond from his thought.

"It's nothing." He said, though Zanya and Sorphan exchanged a knowing look.

Quentin ignored their suggestive expressions and approached the small window, his eyes wandering outside.

_I'll just apologize to him afterwards… _He concluded. He had to focus on the mission, nothing matter at that moment but that.

However he couldn't stop the random thought from invading his mind.

_I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The manhole cover in the Presidential Residence's courtyard shook slightly, then harder as it lifted from its place and set on the floor, allowing an opening. A pair of hands pushed it further permitting the raven haired young man to climb up above ground.

As silently as he could, Rian moved the manhole cover again to cover the hole – it'd be bad if a patrol happened to pass by there and fall down – as he examined the courtyard.

He had found that passage when he was eleven, it came up just a bit to the side of the main gate but far enough that one couldn't see it from outside. He smiled as he remembered he had gotten into so much trouble at the time, when he was caught by the guards. He had refused to tell them exactly _how_ he had managed to enter undetected and if his mother wasn't a Congresswoman, he wasn't sure what the soldiers would have done to him.

Deciding that entering through the main entrance wasn't the best course of action, Rian started to look around for any sort of access inside and was rewarded when he saw a truck with several piled boxes that reached just the side of the roof. A little jump and he would be in.

With the feeling that Lady Luck was finally smiling on him, he started climbing the boxes, carefully enough as not to fall or cause the boxes to tumble.

His thoughts were focused on one thing.

_I know I'm not __a SeeD, but… _He strained to reach a certain box… _I'm not totally useless either! _

_I'll show them!_

He finally reached the roof with a jump from the top box and walked carefully through the access corridor, so that anyone inside or outside the compound would see him.

_So far so good…_

He entered a wide chamber next. It was filled with white veils hanging from the ceiling so much, that for a moment he couldn't see where he was going. When he passed by the thicker area, he could see, roughly at the centre of the room, a fancy chair and someone sitting on it.

Long black hair flowed all the way to the ground and, from behind, Rian recognized the strange red mask he saw the Sorceress wearing during the small glimpse he managed to get on the Timber TV Station.

_There she is… now, to get closer…_

He devised a quick plan in his head and started walking slowly and carefully towards her, holding the bangle hidden behind is back.

"Umm… Excuse me…" He started nervously. Damn him, why did he have to get so nervous now! _Hold it together, Rian!_ "I'm… I'm the son of Cong… of a Galbadia Congressman and I'm… I'm just paying my respects… in relation to our new alliance…"

_Good save!_ He thought. A Congressman's son paying his respects wasn't that farfetched. And he had caught himself in time. Being as specific as to reveal his mother's identity might have been unwise in many aspects.

He kept walking as he saw no hostile reaction from the woman. In fact, there was no reaction at all as she kept seated on the chair.

_This is easier than I thought it'd be!_

"I… I have brought a small gift, to ahmm… as a small token of our appreciation for your help…" He added as he was quite close now.

However, he wouldn't get any closer.

Either sensing his intention of detecting the threatening item in his possession, a burst of power left the sorceress hitting the raven haired straight on and throwing him half way across the room.

The Sorceress remained motionless as Rian's arm, the one holding the bangle, rose up in the air and the rest of him came along with it. He reached his hand with his other as the bangle began to tremble and burn in his hand, forcing him to release it and his frame collapsed onto the floor with a new surge of power.

The Sorceress stirred then on her chair as her hair was pulled up and her red mask receded revealing her soft features and cruel amber eyes. She stood and two long veils shot up from the golden frame on her back, extending like a couple of wings. The offensive bangle floated to her hands at the same time as the young man rose in an unnatural fashion.

The woman looked at the item then tossed it aside, focusing on the young man whose brown chocolate eyes seemed empty and dead.

"What a nuisance, however…" She reconsidered. "You might be of some use, yet…" Her entrancing voice sounded as she turned to leave the room, the young man following her absentmindedly and uncontrollably.

Sorceress Edea walked through the door without opening it, with a simple hand gesture, the door became immaterial and both her and her mind-slave stepped into the corridor and into the roof's podium.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Outside the crowd went wild as President Deling stepped near the podium, high up on the roof of the Presidential Palace. He said nothing but turned to face someone that approached from behind him.

"Here she comes." Inara stated as both women, and just about everyone else in the plaza and adjacent streets, looked up.

Sorceress Edea came into view of the crowd, her face uncovered and her eyes looking straight ahead and not to the cheering masses beneath her. However she wasn't alone as a second figure walked in a daze behind her. The young man stood there, swaying from side to side.

"H…Hey, that guy…" Inara started as she recognized the raven haired man beside their target. "Isn't that…?"

Schala stared as well, her eyes widening as she recognized him as well.

"… Rian…?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: ... ''-.-_

_Ok, so remember when I said I wasn't going to do another chapter as long as the last one? I was right to a point... this one is longer, like 38 pages long!! Really, I feel like the chapters are running await with me a little bit too much lately... And to think that I was actually initially planning on making it go a bit further. . . I gotta thank my dear close friend that called me to reason on that and my dear sweet Beta. Both are incredibly supportive and I don't what my story would be without them... THANKS GIRLS!!_

_Anyway, hope you liked the HUMUNGUS chapter and that it didn't bore you too much... _

_As for the King, well, as I said I had a suggestion that the Unknown King could be a GF to Seifer, so I acted on it. I really liked that idea at the time, and my mind has already developed some really cool details relating to that, so... here it goes ;P. THANKS to LiAnderson for her wonderful idea XD_

_And as for Rian's mother, she was inspired in a Japanese Dorama, "Hana Yori Dango", and the Nishida character is also drawn from there, as well as the reference at being "tied up and gagged"… those of you who are familiar with the show will certainly get the reference XD._

_Next on Twisted Fantasy: Finally, The Sorceress's Parade!! Stay tuned._

_Love y'all that read it... keep it up ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	22. Chapter 22: The Sorceress's Parade

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII... fact that leaves at least one person fairly happy..._

**Chapter 22 – The Sorceress's Parade**

"Hey! I think something's happening at the Presidential Residence!" Sorphan cried out as the crowd seemed to focus more intensely in the plaza.

"Seems so…" Zanya backed him up as she peered through the narrow window. "Dammit, we're too far out, I can't make out a thing!" She complained in frustration.

"All we can do now is wait…" Quentin commented as he too gazed through the opening out to the agitated crowd below them.

_Wait for the opportune moment…_

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"That is Rian!" Inara pointed out as President Deling introduced Sorceress Edea. "And he seems strange, somehow… We have to go help him!" She emphasized, looking back at Schala that also sported a slightly worried expression.

"There's nothing we can do now…" The brunette said, somewhat reluctantly. She didn't want Rian to get hurt either but there was truly nothing they could do while the gates remained closed.

She didn't know how the raven haired young man had sneaked inside the palace, but they didn't have time to go searching for an alternative route now. Not to mention that any sign of commotion could cancel the parade and end the mission prematurely and in failure.

This was just too important to screw up.

"We're gonna have to wait it out." Schala added causing the red head to look at her in disbelieve.

But Inara's expression softened somehow as she noticed the other woman's troubled eyes.

She was worried about him too.

_Just hang in there…_

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"And without further a due, I present to you… Sorceress Edea!" Vinzer Deling stepped to the side, giving the woman in long black dress access to the mic and the crowd went wild with cheers and shouts, greeting her.

Edea walked slowly, Rian being left behind as she climbed onto the podium, her frame barely visible to the masses that overflowed the streets beneath her.

Without any gesture or indication, the people silenced, preparing to take in the powerful woman's words.

"… Lowlifes… Shameless filthy wretches." She started, much to the surprise of the president given her chosen words. This wasn't the planned speech.

"How you celebrate my ascension with such joy… Hailing the very one whom you have condemned for generations…" She continued, her tone poisonous instead of delicate, but entrancing all the same.

"Have you no shame?"

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"What the hell is she going on about?" Inara had to whisper, such was the imposed silence.

"And what's wrong with these people?" She added, having noticed for quite a while how the crowd surrounding them took in the Sorceress's words with joyous eyes.

_Are they all being controlled?_ Schala wondered as she refocused on the woman in black once again as she continued her unorthodox discourse.

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"What happened to the evil, ruthless sorceress from your fantasies?" Edea asked rhetorically as the president of Galbadia began to fiddle with his hands, finding something truly wrong with the Sorceress's condition.

"The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations…?" Her voice grew lower in volume but more menacing in tone.

"Where is she now?" She asked the masses, her manner changing to one of seemingly curiosity.

The sorceress's face darkened with twisted amusement.

"She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler… HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Her chilling laugh carried out throughout the plaza, almost all the way to the gate as the listeners either shuddered or cheered loudly.

The public's cheers rose in volume and all around Deling, the people acclaimed for the Sorceress.

"A new era has just begun…" She muttered lowly, watching the masses' ovation at her dark rule.

"E-Edea… Are you alright…?" President Deling stepped forward, fearing in one hand, that the Sorceress might not be feeling well, on another the direst possibility that she might have turned on them.

"Ede…!" He would have continued but as he approached the podium Edea's hand shot back and grabbed him by the throat.

Vinzer struggled, raising his hands for support but the considerably weaker woman raised his heavier frame from the ground effortlessly. A purple mist, seemingly coming from the sorceress's gloved hand, started to surround the man, choking him. Soon his body became limp as the smoke enveloped him like unholy flames.

Without even looking at the dying man's face, one that was once her ally and that now she murdered in cold blood, she continued talking to the masses that kept cheering, unaware, uncaring or unable to react to her dreadful actions.

"This is reality…" The crowd silenced once more to listen to her following words. "No one can help you now… Just sit back and enjoy the show…" She added which led the crowd into a new frenzy cheer that spread throughout Deling's streets.

An evil smile crept into her features as the Sorceress threw her arm back, discarding the president's lifeless body. Her sinister eyes never left the crowd as she saw the foolish and weak minded humans cheering her on.

"Rest assured, you fools… Your time will come." She said more to herself than the masses that in their agitation couldn't have heard her anyways.

"This is only the beginning…" She added, spinning around and starting to walk back to the inside of the Presidential Residence at her characteristic, slow pace.

"A new reign of terror will commence…" She continued to herself as she strode past the unmoving body of Vinzer Deling, without even a side glance.

"I will let you live a dreadful fantasy beyond your imagination… for a while, at least…" She added with a darkening smile, as she passed by Rian's still swaying form.

As she reached the entrance of the corridor she halted suddenly.

"Let us begin our ruthless campaign with a sacrifice…"

Sorceress Edea focused her power and reached her arms up, casting an unknown spell somewhere around her.

As the purple mist escaped her hands, she lowered her arms and reentered the residence… On the Golden Gate across the avenue, something shuttered.

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On the golden archway, a strange mist neared two of the stone gargoyles, causing an odd aura to envelop them. Then the rock began to crumble as what seemed like skin began to shed from the statues and these began to move, attaching to the walls and moving, revealing a green upper body while the lower part remained in a golden tone.

The two living statues stomped on the walls of the gate making them tremble slightly.

"What was that?!" Zanya exclaimed when a loud sound came from a very near outside and the walls shook around her.

Sorphan rushed to the narrow window as to try and see anything outside and all but jumped back as something crawled into his field of vision.

"What'a…?" He let out as a half green half golden lizard like creature gazed inside the small opening, fixing its yellow eyes on the three teens before turning its back and gazing at the streets full of people and beyond that, the architectural magnificence of the Presidential Residence.

Exchanging a look with the second lizard like creature that was also attached to the walls of the gate, both beasts jumped off, landing on the busy streets and heading towards the point they were being drawn to.

"What the Hell was that?" Sorphan asked as the three SeeDs rushed to the window to gaze outside, seeing the massive creatures zigzagging down the avenue.

"I have no idea…" Quentin admitted, a concerned frown forming on is face. "… But they're heading straight to the sniper team…" He concluded, wondering if Schala and Inara had been found out.

"We gotta do something!" Zanya cried out, already half way to the descending ladder.

"Stop right there!" Quentin ordered, causing the woman to almost trip in her sudden halt and Sorphan to cancel his every intent to follow the martial artist's lead.

"We don't know what's going on AND we can't leave our posts!" The instructor clarified, gaining a pleading look from the other teens. He sighed, understanding their frustration… but orders were orders and besides… "They can take care of themselves…"

esigned, the three teens surrendered to the situation, once more positioning themselves near the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, anything that would reassure them.

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Inara looked at the podium with narrowed eyes, disbelief and sorrow filling her heart as she no longer recognized the loving mother figure she had always pictured her Matron as. Sure, Martine had always taken special attention to her once her skill with fire arms became evident, but she never replaced that image.

Now Edea appeared to her, after so many years, as a ruthless, evil sorceress and Inara with the mission to assassinate her…

It was turning out to be a _heavy_ day…

"The parade should be starting soon…" The red headed sharpshooter was drawn from her thoughts at her companion's words.

Inara turned to see Schala's face that kept focused onto the roof of the Palace, her eyes locked on the last living person standing on it.

"Be ready to act as soon as the convoy is past the gates!" She added, never tearing her gaze…

That was until frightened screams were heard from behind them and both women turned to see the cause of the commotion. At first all they saw were scared people running to the sides, as if escaping something that was quickly approaching their position.

More people scampered, thinning the veil between the SeeDs and the object of their fear, until finally it came in sight of the two women.

Two large lizard like beasts stomped down the streets, not exactly avoiding the people that scurried from their paths but not chasing after them either. Their sole objective seemed to be something else.

They neared and neared, causing the SeeDs to reach for their weapons. But in the last possible second, when they were just a hop away, they pounced and jumped high above their heads. Their flight pattern seemed to indicate the Presidential Residence's roof to be their goal.

The two teenagers exchanged a worried look before their eyes locked with the lizards frame and their destination.

… _Rian…_

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Awareness suddenly came to Rian, who felt like he had just been taken a hit to the head. He leaned against the wall for support, his legs shaking but hanging on barely preventing him from collapsing on the floor.

_What happened?_ He wondered. _The last thing I remember was…_ and it came to him, the last conscious moments when he tried to trick the sorceress just to be thrown across the room… His mind became hazed after that to the point he didn't remember how he got back outside, to the roof of the palace.

Rian stepped to the side, almost tripping over something. After regaining his balance, he looked down and his eyes widened at the sight of the president's limp body.

"Mr. President?" He kneeled and shook him up, but after taking his pulse he verified his fears.

_He's dead… Did the Sorceress do this?_ He couldn't help but wonder as he got back to his feet. _She really is a menace…_ He had to admit. At first he thought that it was just another of his mother's ploys, but now he had to acknowledge his mother's better intentions…

His thoughts were interrupted as the cheers of the people in the streets – that he had barely recognized in his inebriated state – were replaced by terrified screams.

Rian edged the rim of the roof and looked out just as two massive creatures jumped at him from the crowd. He only had time to back off to avoid being squashed by the heavy beasts' frames that crash-landed in the podium where he stood not two seconds before.

The two Iguions stared at the raven haired young man that continued to back away from them as they started to slowly walk towards him.

_Oh dear… I think I'm in trouble…_ He rightly concluded as the lizards' eyes never faltered from their stare as they approached slowly, like a prowling cat.

Coping with his fears and doubts, and receiving encouraging words from Siren inside his head, Rian narrowed his eyes as his right hand reached back for his giant boomerang that – luckily – was still strapped on his back.

_I won't be an easy meal…_ He strengthened as he pulled Cardinal and threw it at his attackers.

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"Rian's in trouble, we gotta act now!" Inara cried out as se made to approach the gates but was halted by a firm grip to her arm.

She turned to see Schala's emotionless face staring at her intently.

"Don't tell me we have to wait, Rian can be dead by the time those gates open!" She cut her off, knowing what the brunette was going to say but mostly, knowing she was right.

"We don't have a choice!" Schala told her, her calm tone betrayed by the worry reflected in her stormy blue eyes.

A characteristic _whoosh_ sound reached both their ears and the women raised their heads in time to see a giant red boomerang fly off the edges of the roof only to turn and go back out of sight.

_Rian is fighting them… maybe he can hang on for a bit longer…_ Both SeeDs reasoned as they exchanged a glance.

Their worry and anxiety would have to be put on hold as they saw commotion on the courtyard of the residence.

The Sorceress's Parade was about to begin.

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Kaede Caraway stood by the window of the second floor study, seeing and hearing the peoples' cheers and screams and knowing that the Sorceress had done what she, and Headmistress Martine, had feared.

She sighed as she hoped with all her might that the SeeDs were successful on their mission.

A knock on the door broke off her thoughts as she refocused on the inside of the house.

"Come in." She simply ordered and the door opened to reveal Nishida.

The Congresswoman initially didn't think much of it, he was probably just reporting that everything was going as planned but when he said nothing she raised her eyes to meet his.

"Yes?"

"Madam Congresswoman…" He hesitated but straightened up and continued. "I went to check on the Young Master on the downstairs study and found the room empty…" He refrained from stepping back as the woman's frown buried deeper in an angry glare.

"The secret passageway was opened… I'm afraid he has sneaked out." He informed, looking at her intently.

_Damn, the passageway… I forgot all about that… _She reflected, holding her head with her hand as she shook it. She had for several times thought it better to seal that passage, but on these days, a safe route out of the house could prove useful. She had forgotten that her son had knowledge of those passageways.

She looked outside the window once again. She wouldn't bother asking where her son was, it was more than obvious.

_Damn that kid! Always so childish!!_

"Congresswoman…?" Nishida's query drew her from her silent reverie. "What shall we do?"

Kaede thought for a moment. If he indeed had introduced himself into the SeeDs' mission, he was in immediate danger.

"Call on the troops that are still with us…" She ordered, looking back at the tall man. She still had some influence in that city and had some soldiers that were either loyal, or in her payload. "Instruct them to get my son out of there should the plan go astray, by any means necessary…"

"And if they can't?" Nishida wasn't the pessimist type, but if there was a reason why he still had that job, it was because he analyzed the situations thoroughly so as to determine every other possibility.

"Then they are to get me someone who can!" She added after a small pause.

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"Hey, I think the parade is finally starting!" Sorphan cried out as he saw the crowd parting from the Presidential Residence's gates.

The other two SeeDs approached to window to see and Quentin took a glance at his watch. Relief coursed through him as the possibility that those two creatures were meant for the other team vanished, though he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was still wrong…

At the very least, the parade starting meant that the mission was still on, and they had to get into the spirit of it. Their part on the operation was determinant, even if it was simply pushing a button.

"It won't be much longer now… Make sure you're ready!" He informed his companions and, after a curt nod, the younger SeeDs gazed outside again, waiting to see the parade.

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"It's starting!" Inara let out as the people parted ways - without a word from the guards that initialized the march – as the gates opened and the first performers stepped out into the streets.

Men and women in extravagant and vibrant costumes pranced and danced on the streets opening the long parade. The fireworks lightened the night's sky with a varied range of colours and the people cheered with the loud music coming from the street speakers.

Some of the artists weren't solely dancing, some were performing elaborate gymnastics movements, with flips and mortal jumps that led the crowd wild. Others were spinning colourful flags or batons, while others walked on their hands. Overall, they moved flawlessly and in rhythm.

As the last row of performers skipped along with the sound, a large, richly decorated parade cart followed them out of the Presidential Residence's grounds. Though it somewhat contrasted with the carnival look of the parade, the car had an imposing feeling to it. Strong, thick columns rose from the dark stone floor and it was lighted with rich low torches that cast dark shadows.

In the centre of the float, in between and as tall as the pillars, lied a luxurious scarlet and golden throne that had attached at its very top, a wide, clear blue ring that appeared to be made solely of light and which's length stood above all the cart.

Sitting on that very throne was the target of everyone's attention. The powerful Sorceress Edea sat and stared emotionless at the masses that acclaimed her, but she didn't seem to mind them, her cold golden eyes not focusing in anything in particular.

"Now's our chance!" Inara's voice drew Schala from her examination as the brunette turned her head away from the float and towards the other woman. "Let's make a break for it, I don't know how much longer Rian can stand on his own!"

Inara made her case perfectly clear and started cutting through the crowd after the leader's confirmative nod. Schala rushed to follow her and while running to catch up, she spared one last glance at the Sorceress's exquisite transport… and that's when she froze…

At first sight, there seemed to be only one person on the car, but at her second glimpse of it she detected another. Her eyes widened and she forgot all about Rian and their rush to save him once she recognized who stood proudly by Edea's side.

_That's not possible…_She thought as her mind seemed to be unable to process the information it was receiving.

_Seifer…?!_

The float passed by her but she kept her eyes on the blond gunblader. All her emotions broke down in complete disarray and she feared she would freak out like she did earlier that day in Galbadia Garden's reception room. At that time she needed to be alone to organize her thoughts, she just needed to get away, but at that moment she wasn't sure if she could afford such actions.

"Schala, hurry up… Schala…?" Inara stopped ahead as she noticed the other SeeD wasn't following in after her. Straining to be able to see over the crowd, she was finally able to see the other woman as she appeared to be just starring at the slowly moving away car.

_Seifer's alive, but…__How? And… he's with the Sorceress…? _Schala kept in her own little, falling apart world as Inara struggled to get back to her.

_Does that mean, if Inara fails… we're gonna have to fight…? As enemies…?!_

"Schala what are you doin'? We gotta hurry!" The red head all but screamed in her ears once she was near enough, effectively dragging the brunette from her thoughts.

Schala shook her head, dismissing her silent musings and forcing them back so that she could focus on the present. Nodding to the sharpshooter, the two women restarted their approach on the gates of the presidential residence, but not before the brunette spared another glance at the retreating float.

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"No way!" Sorphan cried out in surprise, his emerald eyes wide and staring at the convoy of performers and float that approached the gate for its first crossing.

Drawn by his cry, Zanya neared the window looking down just as the parade passed underneath their position.

"Isn't that…?" Sorphan continued in utter disbelieve.

"It can't be…" Zanya enforced the mystery until Quentin couldn't take it any longer and moved towards their position.

"It can't be what…?" He asked as he gazed outside himself, seeing the float two seconds before it became concealed by the gateway's massive frame.

But two seconds were more than enough to verify that one of his biggest fears since the Timber TV Station incident came to pass.

"Oh my Hyne…"

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Nearing the gates of the residence, the SeeDs slowed down and reached for their weapons in case any guard would prevent their passage. They sneaked a peak inside and saw just two soldiers guarding the entrance.

With the crowd still rooting for the Sorceress, the two teens' shouted spells went unnoticed as did the loud thuds the two sentinels' bodies made as they collapsed on the floor under the cast sleep spells.

While always on alert for watchful patrols, Schala and Inara penetrated the grounds and immediately started their search for the best way to reach the roof. They didn't take long to find the same truck with piled boxes Rian had used to achieve the same destination they were aiming for.

As they climbed the stack, they noticed the typical sounds of battle muffling the outside cheers and hurried to jump off to the roof. Without worrying about being seen by guards or the enthusiastic people on the streets, the women rushed over the length of the roof, near the podium and past the lifeless body of the once Galbadian president, heading straight at the corridor where the noise of monsters and magic was more intense.

Once on the corridor they saw that the door on the other end had been blown off of its hinges as a battle for survival unfolded inside the adjacent room. Schala and Inara wasted no time to reach the room and between the few veils still hanging from the ceiling, they were able to see Rian desperately holding one of the Iguions at bay with his boomerang as the other wandered around the room apparently confused.

The young man had certainly been able to take care of himself.

But the young women had no time to ponder as Rian lost his balance, allowing the lizard-like creature to attack as the second beast seemed to recover. Exchanging a look, the two SeeDs separated, Inara taking advantage of her long range weapon, drew Valiant and fired a couple of AP rounds at the Iguion that hovered over the young man as Schala rushed to the other one before he could fully recuperate.

Rian had never felt more relieved than in that exact second. He had had great difficulties keeping himself alive and had it been not for Siren's enhancement to status affecting magic, he would probably be lizard food by now.

For the better part in which Rian had fought the lizard kin alone, all the spells he had cast had been mysteriously reflected back at him, making his life just that much harder. After a few minutes of bounced spells, the serene songstress had managed augment his confuse spell effectiveness which allowed Rian to successfully pass through the creature's barrier and inflict confusion on one of the attacking beasts and hence convert it into a lesser threat as he took care of the other one.

However the creatures proved rougher and more resilient than originally anticipated and he hadn't been able to dispatch one before the other came to.

The SeeDs had come at the most excellent timing. Finally Rian had the opportunity to cast a cure on himself and recover his strengths so that he could help them defeat those dreadful creatures.

Inara was able to hit the Iguion with her expert sharpshooter skills four more times before it gotten too close and despite the beast's attempts at evading them, by zigzagging around the room. She wasn't the top gunmaster in Galbadia Garden for nothing, only second to one other.

She rolled to the side as the creature went at her with its claws and barely missed. Getting back to her feet, Inara ran in the opposite direction, loading her shotgun with practice expertise and being able to shoot it again before it could turn and resume chase.

Meanwhile, Schala was struggling with the other lizard, evading and parrying its attacks while managing to inflict a few of her own. She ducked and rolled back as the creature suddenly swung its long tail at her, missing by millimetres and increasing the distance between them. Schala recovered and raised her head to see the Iguion, apparently taking in a deep breath that set off warning signs all over her head.

_Th__at can't be good…_

Inara jumped back to avoid another strike and found herself with her back against the wall. Loading her shotgun, she prepared for a new attack but a red blur, accompanied by a familiar _whoosh_ sound, flashed between them effectively distracting the lizard and giving Inara some breathing space. Cardinal returned to its master's hands, who cast a Blizzard spell on the creature.

A green barrier flashed for a second around the lizard like creature as it seemed it would mirror the magic back to its caster, but a second more powerful spell cast over the first broke through the creature's shield, successfully hitting its intended target.

The freezing enchantment locked in ice about half the side of the creature that, along with the many wounds inflicted by the sharpshooter's flawless aim, caused the Iguion to howl in excruciating pain. The beast trashed around, trying to get itself free of the encasing ice but was unable to move further.

Inara straightened herself up, sparing a thankful look back at her saviour, Rian. As he rushed to her side, Inara, from a recently acquired habit, stretched her mind onto the restrained creature in search of spells to restock her dimming supply. She found and drew a few Curas and Esunas along with a new spell, Break, but then there was something else…

_What is that…?_ She asked herself, never truly expecting to get and answer.

_**It feels like a powerful entity… **_The Elder Brother informed, making the woman almost jump in surprise.

_**One of us, right Big Bro? Another Guardian!**_ Minotaur added enthusiastically.

_**Yes, Little Bro… One of the oldest and wisest Guardians… You should get him, master. **_Sacred suggested.

_I told you not to call me that. _She mockingly complained gaining a muttered apology. _Besides, I can barely stand you two in my head less alone another…_ She added jokingly, earning a chuckle from the eldest and a sad grunt from the youngest.

_**Don't worry, Little Bro. She is only teasing.**_ Sacred reassured, causing Minotaur to beam happily much to their master's amusement. _**As for the Guardian, he could prove to be a precious addition.**_ He reinforced his point and Inara finally surrendered.

_Fine… But you guys better keep him in check!_ She imposed the condition upon her GFs as she attempted to once again reach the still struggling creature's mind.

"Watch out!" The warning shout broke the red head's concentration as hers and Rian's attention turned to its origin.

Both teens saw as Schala moved away from her opponent that seemed to up to something. A crimson mist started to emerge from its barely opened mouth and as he dropped his head and parted its jaws, a stream of flowing lava spurted from it in a straight line.

Schala jumped out of its trajectory barely in time to avoid contact with the creature's Magma Breath that crossed the room, catching on fire the few remaining veils that still hung from the ceiling. The other two teens also needed to step back as the flowing heat passed quite near them.

The temperature inside the room increased tremendously as everything burned, forcing the SeeDs and Rian to cast ice spells to put out the quickly enveloping flames.

As a result of the Iguion's attack, the ice block restraining the other lizard-like creature melted, setting the beast free which immediately rejoined its companion. After the fire was under control, the teens regrouped and prepared to resume their battle after one quick glance among each other. Noting that none appeared to have any serious injury, Schala stood in front with Revolver held firmly in her hands as Inara and Rian readied themselves to support her.

The weakened creatures moved in unison as they raised their heads and a deafening sound echoed within their surrounding walls. The two women cringed in pain as the barely audible Resonance brought both to their knees as their hands covered their ears in a desperate attempt to muffle the excruciating noise. Only Rian seemed unaffected as Siren's sound specific defences protected him from the Iguions' attack.

Unable to help the other two, Rian launched his boomerang at the creatures while preparing a new blizzard so as to, at least, break their focus on the attack. His attacks forced one of the lizards to jump and evade his weapon as the other was disrupted when the spell hit the barrier and was reflected. Rian immediately cast a fire spell in front of him while jumping to the side and hence avoiding his returned attack.

Despite his attempts to hit the creature, his failed strikes were enough to disrupt the Resonance's debilitating effects and free the women. Sending silent thanks to the raven haired young man, the SeeDs took up on their attack once again.

Schala rushed at the less injured Iguion as Rian and Inara focused first on the heavily hurt one.

As Schala held one, giving time for the others to finish the weaker off, Rian threw Cardinal and Inara fired her shotgun. The beast evaded the red blur and got scrapped by the bullets but was unable to steer clear of the dual blizzard spell cast by both teens, their combined strength breaking through the reflection effect. The Iguion screeched in pain as it collapsed on the floor, his strength completely drained as Inara seemed to be focusing her mind on something for a few seconds before raising her head and giving the final blow, an AP shot straight through its eyes.

One down, just another to go.

Schala dodged the last surviving Iguion's tail swing and claw attacks while swinging her own blade and pressing the trigger when it contacted with the lizard's scaly skin, increasing the injury. The hurt creature tried to retaliate but a well placed blizzard kept it in place as a couple rounds hit its body. Seemed that the reflect barrier had either wore off or faded away from the constants attacks.

Half frozen in place, the beast still raised its clawed paws to strike at the fast approaching brunette but she was too fast for it as she ducked under its arms and impaled her gunblade on its exposed torso. Pressing the trigger once more, the vibrations caused by her weapon shredded the lizard's insides, finishing it off.

Schala dislodged Revolver from the creature's unmoving corpse and stood aside to catch her breath. It had been a stressful battle with two worthy opponents.

The other two soon joined her as she swiped the clogging blood remains from her blade.

"Great job!" Rian cheered, clearly out of breath as he sat down to regain it. He breathed deeply, pleased but also silently fearsome of the young leader's reaction, especially after detecting her frown.

Rian knew that Schala most probably already realised what had happened, what he had set out by himself to do which placed him and the SeeDs in unnecessary danger. He waited her to blow off on him, just like Quentin had earlier. After all he had already admitted it to himself that he had been reckless and foolish to try and take on the sorceress alone.

Now he silently awaited her sermon already imagining her words.

"_What were you thinking?! Did you want to get yourself killed, and us?! Do you ever think about the consequences of your actions?! Do you think at ALL?!"_

Honestly the anticipation was worse to handle as the three teenagers stood or sat in absolute silence.

"Are you alright?" Were definitely NOT the words the young man expected to hear.

Doubting his own ears, Rian raised his head to look upon dark blue eyes. They didn't seem angry or disappointed, for a second there they almost seemed relieved.

"Rian…? Are you alright?" She repeated loudly when she got no response, her eyes suddenly reflecting slight concern that the Owls' Boss could be in shock.

"I… I'm ok…" Rian muttered now certain that it had really been her to say those words. To think she was actually worried about him…

"Hey, you handled yourself rather well back there!" Inara interrupted with a sly and knowing smile that made the raven haired young man look away as the brunette put on her emotionless mask once more.

"You might just make it to SeeD one of these days…" The red head added to break the tenseness in the air.

Schala turned around as she contemplated leaving the room. They still had a few minutes before their part on the mission was necessary, but the sooner they got into position the better. Sure, she had been concerned about Rian, but he was safe now.

And that was that.

"Let's go, the access hatch should be back in the corridor." She said simply, gaining the others' attention.

Inara smiled widely, knowing the other woman just wanted to place that event behind her, as she nodded to follow her out. Her gaze suddenly turned to the young man as he sported a hesitant posture. Choosing to save him the trouble, the red head turned back to Schala's retreating form.

"What about Rian?" She asked, making the other woman stop and turn her head slightly, just enough so that she could catch her through the corner of her dark blue eyes.

Rian held his breath in anticipation. He wanted to tell her not to leave him behind again, he wanted to be a part of their group. Despite all that happened that night, he still wanted to help. He rose to his feet as a new determination coursed through his veins. Even if she didn't want him around, he would insist on it.

Schala pondered for a moment while she kept the sharpshooter in sight but avoided contact with the young man. On one hand, if Rian tagged along and they had to engage in battle with the Sorceress he would be in great danger. On the other hand, by keeping him close she'd prevent him from getting into more trouble.

"He can come with us…"

Once again, Rian was speechless. This was so unexpected!

Schala still didn't turn to face him, instead she faced forwards and kept walking out of the room.

"… As long as he stays close…" She added and left the room.

Inara smiled widely, looking back at the still stunned young man.

"You heard her, keep up!" She told him with an encouraging smile as she started walking away too.

Rian shook away his thoughts. He had been given one more chance to prove his worth, to stay beside his new friends… he had to make the best of it.

Nodding to himself, he moved to follow the women when he noticed something lying on the floor, half covered by a scorched piece of fabric. Kneeling down near said object, and after clearing the ashes off of it, he found a very familiar item.

_The Bangle…_

"C'mon, hurry up will ya…? Or she'll leave us both behind!" Inara beamed from the entrance to the room, drawing him from his thoughts.

"Coming!" He yelled back, pocketing the Odine Bangle and walking away towards the access corridor to the roof.

Once he reached the SeeDs, Schala had already found and opened the concealed hatch and was now descending inside of it, followed by Inara that ushered him on.

They entered a dark round chamber, with several raised platforms surrounding a central pillar. Even in the dim lighting, they could tell it ranged in colours, from blues to purples in an exquisite fashion.

Schala was the first in, after deemed satisfied that the area was safe, she signalled the other two in as she approached a glittering item. Inara stumbled into the room followed by Rian as Schala kneeled to pick up the sniper riffle left for them. Rising back to her feet, she turned and approached their designated sharpshooter.

"Here you go. It's all up to you, now." She said as she handed the weapon to the suddenly serious red headed woman.

_No pressure, huh…?_ Inara thought as she picked up the gun silently with a nod.

Schala frowned as she saw the other woman walk away, the quieter and more serious she'd ever seen her acting.

_Loneliness of a sharpshooter, was it?_ She wondered, recalling her talk on the train. Seemed not all of that was bull-shit. _Or is it that the importance of the mission is finally getting through to her…?_

Schala suppressed a sigh, leaning against one of the platforms as Rian in front of her did the same. They still had some time before 20:00 hours, they could rest up till then.

_It's awfully quiet in here…_ Schala started to wonder while they sat in silence. She used to like just sitting around in absolute quietness, allowing something like a silent veil surround her and keep her in peace and relaxation, letting her thoughts wander…

_I wonder what's going on with the parade…_ Her mind rambled aimlessly, and immediately she regretted letting it take that particular course. That's the reason she had started avoiding silences… too many unwanted thoughts roaming around her head.

_Seifer… alive…how…? What does that mean…?_ She continued, leaning further on the raised stand, her eyes staring into nothingness.

Such was her trance, she didn't even registered as Rian broke the silence.

"Schala… I wanted to thank you…" He started, somewhat hesitantly and avoiding her eyes. "Thank you for saving me… again…" He added reluctantly. She really did seem to be always saving his hide… then again, he always seemed to be getting into situations tougher that he could handle…

_Is h__e under the Sorceress's spell or out of his own free will…?_ Schala's mind continued to wander, completely oblivious to Rian's words.

"You know, I have been through more these past few days than my entire life!" Rian continued, not noticing she wasn't listening to a word he said for, One, her quiet demeanour rarely made her answer to his comments anyway and Two, he still avoided looking at her. "Not that I'm blaming any of you… I actually wanted to thank you…"

_Could__ he really have turned on everything? SeeDs, Garden, m…_ Schala caught herself in time. What was she going to say? Her? He had turned on her? What an idiotic thought… Seifer meant nothing more than a fellow SeeD to her and she certainly meant nothing more than that to him either… Why did her mind draw such joy in tormenting her with senseless thoughts…? Or any thought for that matter… she had to keep her mind in check and focus on more pressing matters…

"I've never felt more alive!" Rian confessed, looking up for a moment as his own thoughts wandered in all the things that had happened those past few days. "All those battles, such trills… they have also made me think, you know? About everything we do and its consequences… I think I've grown more in the last hours than in the last years… you know what I mean?" He asked turning his head to finally look at her…

_It won't matter if everything goes according to plan… _Schala reasoned, willing her mind to take on another thought path, to focus on the mission. True, if Inara was successful, Seifer being there or not wouldn't matter. The whole matter would be resolved… _What if it doesn't? _

"Schala…?" Rian looked at the brunette intently and though she appeared to look ahead, in his general direction, her eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything in particular.

_Will I have to get pass him to get to the Sorceress…? _

Rian couldn't stop from wondering if she had heard a word he had said…

_Will I have to kill him…?!_

"Schala…?!" Rian stood and approached her half-sitting position in front of him.

Schala didn't know what to expect from a possible confrontation with Seifer…

"Schala, are you listening to me…?" Rian asked again as he waved his hand in front of her eyes, successfully drawing the woman from her thoughts.

_What!! _Schala's eyes clearly scolded the interruption, frowning to the raven haired young man that stepped back from her unspoken scowl. Her eyes softened ever so slightly as she recognized him, changing to a slight thankful look. He had managed to help her out of her crumbling mind while she couldn't. Now she could focus on the present.

"Are you alright?" Schala nodded absentmindedly as Rian kept an inquiring look. Sighing softly, he added: "Did you hear anything I said…?" He asked already guessing her answer.

Schala's head tilted to the side in obvious confusion, giving Rian all the answer he needed. He sighed again and walked back to his original spot.

"Nevermind…" He added as she kept her forehead furrowed in his direction.

Schala kept her inquiring gaze over him a while longer, wondering what had gotten him so upset all of the sudden. Realizing the young man wouldn't clarify her unspoken confusion, Schala shrugged as her eyes caught sight of her wrist watch.

The time was nearing in on their intervention.

Schala rose from her spot, gaining Rian's attention as she rounded the carousel and approached Inara, who had sat down on the floor, leaning against the small hedge behind her with her head lowered in a way her face was covered by her hair.

Schala once more noticed her strange and uncharacteristic behaviour, which along with the talk they had before seeing Rian in danger, gave the brunette a strange gut feeling.

_Is she concentrating…?_ She wondered as the target of her musings raised her head slightly.

Schala kneeled down near the woman, looking straight into her eyes as her own widened.

_Huh…?_

Inara's eyes seemed glazed and empty as she stared forward, completely dazed and unresponsive.

"Inara…?" Schala called out lowly, waving her hand in front of the sharpshooter who didn't move a muscle. Her actions drew a dire feeling from the brunette.

_Oh crap…_

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"The sorceress is coming about for another pass!" Sorphan informed the rest of them from his lookout position.

Following his warning, Zanya approached the narrow window to check out the situation. She frowned as the float neared the gate and her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the tall, blond teen standing and waving at the crowd like he was all that.

_Dammit Seifer, of all the stupid things you could have done…_ Zanya stared at him, feeling like she couldn't recognize him anymore.

She shook her head, she had to focus on the mission. The car was already starting to pass underneath the gate.

"Instructor, it's time!"

Quentin nodded as he approached the consol. It had a few buttons and a couple of levers, but from his earlier examination, the system was rather simple. He pressed one of the buttons and kept it down as his hand went to one of the levers.

"Just tell me when!" He told them as Zanya leaned further on the window. They couldn't afford to jump the gun.

The clock on the plaza stroke 20:00 just as the blonde martial artist turned her head to the inside of the gate's cabin.

"NOW!"

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"Inara!" Schala all but yelled in her ears but still drew no reaction from the sharpshooter.

"What's going on?" Rian, having heard and figured something was wrong, stepped near the kneeling brunette, looking at the red head.

"Inara seems out of it…" Schala pointed out, starting to clap her hands in front of her face in hope the sound and sudden movement would make her snap out of it, but without success.

She was seconds away of slapping her awake.

A hand on her shoulder calmed her somewhat as Rian kneeled next to her.

"Inara…" He called out softly, his hand moving from one woman's to the other's.

Without blinking, her head turned slowly so her eyes could meet his chocolate brown ones. Her sharp, cobalt blue eyes started to focus as her head tilted slightly to the side in consideration of the young man before her. Though it seemed like she could see them now, her expression remained as if frozen, emotionless.

"Inara… It's almost time for your act… are you alright, now?" Rian eased up towards her, contrasting to the way Schala would address her, he was sure.

Inara finally blinked but her expression never faltered. Whatever was disturbing her, it was no little thing.

"Inara…" Schala started, receiving a side glance from Rian as the sharpshooter shifted her eyes to focus on her stormy blue-grey. Rian was probably worried that the SeeD leader would yell at her, but surprisingly enough, she didn't.

"Are you up to this?" She simply asked.

But the simplest of questions may have the hardest to give answers.

"… I'm not sure…" She whispered after a small pause, avoiding both teens' eyes.

Inara had come to terms with what she had to do, what needed be done, but now that the time was upon her, she wasn't sure she could pull the trigger…

"…" Whatever Schala was going to say, they never heard it as suddenly the clock signalled 20:00 hours and the roof of the carousel opened and the platform where they were, started to rise.

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Quentin lowered his hand and the lever it was grabbing came down with it activating the mechanism it had been build for.

Outside, the structure vibrated as the gate on one of the sides released and fell towards the ground, directly in front of the Sorceress's float. The woman rose from her high back chair, and stood with narrowed eyes as the gate crashed down in front of her, making the soldiers and performers that preceded the car scattered to avoid being squashed by it.

Edea glared at the offensive restrain as Seifer stood beside her.

"Turn this thing around!" He ordered to the concealed men that operated the float and it immediately began to rotate towards the path they came from.

But as inside the cabin Quentin pulled down the second lever, the second gate too descended upon them, effectively cutting off any escape path for the large parade car.

Both Sorceress and Knight glared angrily around them, enraged by the defiance whoever had provoked such an attack. Seifer drew Hyperion and readied himself to defend his Mistress.

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"Inara Kinneas!" Schala called out as the carousel extended, the holographic figurines emerging from the platforms all around it as the celebrative music echoed throughout the streets of Deling.

The brunette had to grasp the red headed woman by her shoulders to keep their eye contact.

"Just shoot." She said suddenly extremely calm.

Inara had all these thoughts in her mind, about Matron, her decisive shot that could change the fate of Galbadia, the world… how her name would go down in history for being the one to kill the ruthless sorceress and how her old time friends would react when they remembered it was their beloved Matron she had assassinated.

But it was Schala's calm tone more than her words that made her snap out of it.

_Just shoot…_

"That's it." Schala added, under the curious and surprised dark chocolate eyes of the man kneeling beside her as the red head's attention focused on her.

"It doesn't matter if you miss, the mission will proceed…" Schala continued, nodding along with the other woman. "Your shot is our signal… a sign for us to make our move…"

"We need you to signal our attack… we'll handle things from there…" She paused for a moment before adding… "It's what we do."

_Just a sign… Just shoot…_

"Just shoot…" Inara let out, receiving a nod from the brunette as she turned on her spot, setting her sniper riffle for the shot.

Looking through the gun's sight, Inara aimed at the gate, then below it… She could see her Matr… no, the Sorceress, standing there… nothing else mattered but her and her target…

Under the eager eyes of her companions next to her, she moved her hand to the trigger…

_Just shoot…_

Se told herself one more time as she lined the shot, taking into account the distance, wind and air resistance…

_I'm sorry Matron…_

And she pulled the trigger…

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_AN.:__ Heya, people!_

_Wow, I hadn't updated this quickly in like... half a year, maybe? Well, take it while it lasts ;P. Besides, this chapter is smaller than the previous two... To tell you the truth, Chapter 21 was originally intended to carry out till the end of this chapter... Now aren't you happy I had to friends to call me to reason?_

_BTW, I'll be going on well deserved holidays, but the bad side of it is that I won't have the computer with me, so be ready to receive late review-replies :)_

_Anyway, I hope you all liked it and keep up the good reading ;P_

_Next, on Twisted Fantasy... the long awaited confrontation against Seifer and Sorceress Edea... stay tuned XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_PS.: On a side note, I make a point to answer reviews (those that review know this) and though I have no problem with anonymous reviews, it makes it kinda hard to review-reply, giving me no other choice than to do it here... so, here it goes :)_

"_To Robot:_

_Thank you for the "_lovely_" review. I was "_touched_" that you bothered to review a story you so obviously detested. I trust I should feel "_honoured_" that you went to the trouble of reading thus far and hope this dreadful tale hasn't caused you to puke all over your keyboard. I'd also like to "_thank_" you for all the "_constructive_" criticism, I will "_certainly_" work on that..._

_Though I can cope with you finding my story a completely, horrible sorry excuse for a fanfic - after all, I can't assume everybody in the world would like it - I would have to firmly ask that you refrain from insulting my Beta, who has been nothing but supportive to me. It's my story, all your comments should be addressed to it and me, so I'd thank you if you leave my friends out of it!_

_That said, "_thanks_" once again for your "_encouraging_" and "_supportive_" words that I will "_surely_" take into account._

_Revir_

_PS 1.: Hope to never read from you again for as long as this story continues and beyond, but in the case you happen to "stop by" again and read this and decide to continue to read and review in the same manner as you already have, I have and will have just three words for you... Bring it on!_

_PS 2.: Don't like, don't read!"_


	23. Chapter 23: Showdown

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, as I do not own Within Temptation's "What have you done" either… but, this is THE SONG that inspired me the most for this particular chapter (and many before it as I'm sure, many to come as well XD) and it is THE SONG that best fits the __**Schala&Seifer **__thing that is going on here… If you never heard it, allow me to suggest to you that you listen to it while reading this chapter (especially the duel part ;P)…_

**Chapter 2****3 – Showdown **

The powder exploded, propelling the high calibre bullet out of the sniper riffle at an amazing speed. The projectile soared from the top of the carousel, flying over the crowd that piled up the avenue between the Presidential Residence and the golden archway.

The slug followed its predetermined path, overcoming the wind as it approached its target. It twirled as it cut the air, passing between the grates of the gate as if guided towards its objective.

Just five more metres, less than a second separated failure from success…

Three metres…

Two…

One… **BOOM!!**

Silence reigned around the Sorceress's float as with a raised hand and barrier she stopped the attack upon her, the projectile exploding on contact with the protective bubble.

Edea glared at no one in particular as a deep anger overcame her otherwise emotionless expression. Anger that would soon come down upon whoever had dared to attempt on her life.

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"I'm sorry…" Inara let out, collapsing backwards to a sitting position.

She failed… the plan, the assassination… it had had a disastrous outcome because of her, her… hesitation. The red-head closed her eyes, not sure if she was completely sorry she had missed her target.

"You have nothing to apologise for…" Schala said, her tone surprisingly calm and determined. "Your aim was perfect."

_There was no way of knowing the sorceress would be able to stop the bullet…_ The brunette reasoned, under the surprised eyes of her companions. Schala was being rather understanding, they thought, especially when the brunette placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder reassuringly as she stood.

_There's no avoiding it, then… _Schala thought as she drew Revolver… _It's up to me now…_

"I'm going for the sorceress…" She said outloud as she turned her head slightly, catching them by the corner of her greyish-blue eyes. "Be ready to back me up."

Her gaze locked one each one of them, staying with Rian a little bit longer before turning completely towards Inara.

"Take care of Rian!" She added and she leaped over the low carousel railings, landing steadily on the roof below as the other two edged over the sidings, watching as she ran over to the border of the podium.

Schala looked down from her position briefly before jumping off.

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"Move out, men!" A Galbadian officer ordered his troops as they entered a military truck.

"The crowd has broken through the barriers and are rioting! We must control the situation and then head to the gate to protect Sorceress Edea… C'mon, move your asses!!" He added as the last soldier stumbled inside the transport.

The officer entered behind him and closed the door. He then turned to the driver.

"Step on it!" He ordered and the man immediately complied. The vehicle stuttered into activity and took off after a second similar vehicle also filled with soldiers.

The Galbadians' military transports exited the barracks area inside the grounds of the Presidential Residence and rounded the main building. Coming in view of the gates, they could see the people already breaking through and invading the grounds.

The truck on the lead stopped almost in the middle of the path forcing the second to pass very near the main building to avoid a collision. The soldiers on the still vehicle started to come out, weapons at the ready and advancing towards the raging mob as the moving vehicle passed directly underneath the podium of the residence, turning sharply to head out of the compound.

A loud thud made the soldiers inside the truck, and even the officer, jump in surprise as it sounded as if something fell on the roof of the transport. The driver stopped abruptly, half turning to the other soldier that sat beside him.

"What the hell was that?" He asked but soon got his answer as something dark rolled over the front of the vehicle, landing with a roll in front of them.

The two men could only stare as a young brunette in black leather rose in front of the truck, seemingly uninjured.

_Who… and where did she come from…? _They both wondered but had no time to ponder much as the woman turned, locking her stormy eyes on them before raising her hand in their direction. A white mist surrounded her hand as her eyes narrowed. A cold wave extended all the way to the truck, covering the large vehicle in ice and effectively imprisoning its occupants inside.

That matter resolved, Schala turned around to resume her path towards the gate. She saw with a frown that whatever influence the sorceress had held over the people had either been released or cause them to riot. Her frown deepened as reaching the Archway was proving more troublesome than originally anticipated.

Dismissing her ponderings, Schala hurried ahead in search of something, anything that would aid her to reach her destination faster, having to make use of her gunblade as the occasional soldier stood in her way.

Just as she was nearing the gates, something to her left caught her eye. Turning to see better, she saw a light blue convertible on the residence's parking lot. Deciding it would be preferable to take the car instead of running all the way to the Golden Gate, Schala started running towards it.

However, as she approached the vehicle, her attention was diverted yet again to another item within the same lot. A ghost of a smile passed by the young brunette's features as she altered her path towards the new target of her interest.

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"Did it work? Did we kill her?" Sorphan asked since, from their position they couldn't see what had happened inside the gate.

The only thing they could see was that the crowd outside had just gone wild.

"Well, something happened…" Zanya pointed out. "Cause the people down there are going crazy!"

"We need to get down there. Find out what happened…" Quentin suddenly said, gaining approving nods from the other two teens.

_If Inara failed, we need to back Schala up on a direct attack on the sorceress…_ He thought as he looked down on the ravaging crowd through the narrow window. He then turned back inside, stepping away from the opening and not seeing something moving fast up the avenue.

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"C'mon Rian, stay close! We gotta go help Schala!" Inara rushed as the two teens crossed the roof, intending on climbing back down to the streets the same way they had climbed up.

"Rian, let's… Rian…?" Inara stopped, seeing the raven haired young man wasn't following her. Her sharp cobalt blue eyes scanned the roof, finding him on the podium, looking down on the avenue.

"What are you looking at? We gotta hurry?!" She stressed, seeing that he wasn't moving.

"What is that?" Rian asked as the red headed sharpshooter stepped next to him to see what all the fuss was about.

Looking directly below the roof, Inara noticed the soldiers mobilizing and furrowed her forehead slightly. They weren't expecting them to react this quickly. This could make reaching the gate harder for all of them. Then her eyes caught sight of the blue convertible parked just below them.

_That could be useful… _She thought with a devious smile, planning on "borrowing" - without permission - the stylish automobile.

"Over there." Rian added, drawing Inara's attention to a point higher on the road leading to the Golden Gate.

Following his gaze, the red head soon found what the young man was referring to. Something bigger than a person but smaller than a car, was moving through the crowd at amazing speed, zigzagging around the thicker clusters of people and heading towards the SeeDs' target

Inara strained her sharp eyes so as to identify whoever it was, though she had a pretty good idea. Catching a glimpse of a characteristic silver blade, her suspicions were confirmed. Inara half turned towards Rian, a mocking grin on her face.

"Who do you think?"

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"Outta the way!" Someone screamed and a bunch of people parted ways, allowing passage to the fast approaching dark blue, heavy motorcycle that sped up the road. Schala manoeuvred around expertly, avoiding the most of the people but still having to use her gunblade for the occasional soldier.

After a moment's ponderings, the SeeD leader decided that using the military attack-motorcycle would allow more freedom of movement than the larger convertible and hence, making her journey go faster.

And she was doing an amazing time, the Gateway was only about 30 metres away.

Schala had to slow down, however, as she identified an improvised barricade just a few metres ahead of her. Civilians and soldiers struggled among themselves, some to break through, the others to prevent exactly that. Either ones were making it impossible for Schala to pass by them and reach her destination.

Stormy blue eyes scanned her surrounding in search of an opening that was nowhere to be found. Apart from the many people and soldiers, the only thing on her side of the barricade was a tow-truck parked at the side of the road. Her eyes narrowed in determination as an insane plan formed in her head.

The motorcycle accelerated, skimming to the side and over the sidewalk, towards the tow-truck. People screamed and ran from in front of her and all but jumped out of her way as, after a few pressed buttons in the vehicle's panels, its side cannons powered up and fired one round each.

The twin projectiles soared a few centimetres off the ground, hitting the sides of the truck and blasting the supports away, causing one of the ends of the high ramp to crash down, settling on the ground just as Schala's motorcycle reached it. She sped even more, climbing over it and flying off the other end, over the barricade and the astounded eyes of civilians and soldiers alike.

The motorcycle landed heavily but steadily on the other side of the human wall with barely enough room to screech into a last curve and come to a full stop parallel with the gates and just a couple of centimetres away.

Schala dismounted, tightening her grip on Revolver as she climbed over the float. She rose slowly, catching sight of a familiar long light grey trenchcoat just a couple of metres away from her position.

Keeping the other man in her sight, her eyes focused on the dark figure behind him. The Sorceress had sat once again in her throne as it seemed she was leaving the battle for her Knight.

Seifer moved, regaining the brunette's full attention as a characteristic smirk adorned his features.

"Well, this is how it turned out, eh… Leonhart…?"

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"Instructor, let's go!" Zanya called out as Sorphan opened the access hatch to the lower floor.

Quentin nodded and approached them, halting as the brunet, who had peaked downstairs, straightened up suddenly, closing the hatch shut again.

"What is it?" The blond SeeD inquired, finding the troubled look on the other man's face quite disturbing.

"We've got company…"

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Schala narrowed her eyes as she looked around her. With the amount of soldiers she had to pass through to get there, she half expected the float to be swarming with them by now. However and though they completely surrounded the float, they kept their distance.

That was probably the Sorceress's wishes. She didn't want any interruptions, seeming to intend to measure her Knight's strength against hers. And Seifer would comply to it apparently.

The brunette shifted her eyes from her opponent momentarily as her eye caught some movement. Her eyes narrowed as she saw some of the soldiers not storming the parade car, but the access door to the inside of the gate.

She frowned. _The gate team is about to get some company… _She thought but shook her ponderings away as Seifer shifted slightly, regaining her attention.

She couldn't worry about the others now. She needed too be fully focused on the battle at hand as it was certain, the blond would do the same.

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"Company? What do you mean, _Company_?!" Zanya asked with a frown at the brunet's words, approaching his position.

"Soldiers." He simply provided, gaining a deep frown from the senior SeeD.

"How many?" Quentin inquired as he too neared the hatch.

Sorphan thought for a moment on the best word to describe both their enemies' numbers and their situation.

"A lot!" Was the chosen one that even as it was not the most specific, it gave the blonds all the information they needed. "Does that mean we failed?" He added.

"Not exactly…" Zanya cut in before Quentin, gaining a surprised look from the instructor.

"Zanya's right." He continued, still a bit amazed at the woman's keen perception. "They must know the control for the gates is in here. whether the sorceress's dead or not, they'd come here to check it out and secure this position." He informed as the other blonde nodded in agreement.

"So… now what do we do?" Sorphan asked as Zanya stepped next to the hatch.

"Well then…" She started, opening the hatch abruptly and causing the already climbing soldiers to almost loose their footing.

"Let us rain on their parade!" She let out with a smirk and all but jumped down, catching the stairs in mid fall and crashing down over the soldiers.

Sorphan and Quentin just stared at the blonde martial artist's previous spot for a moment as the commotion below them increased considerably. Quentin stepped forward, half turning towards the brunet.

"Well, you heard her…"

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"Seems you still don't know how to pick your battles…" Seifer said, shaking his head mockingly, amused greatly when she directed a frown at him. He raised his head slowly, locking their eyes. "But I was hoping it was you…" He added at a lower tone, barely audible.

"And you…?" Schala retorted, narrowing her eyes as she stared at him intently trying to see something that would tell her if he was indeed being controlled or if he was acting out of his own free will. "You've become the sorceress's lapdog?" She added, her eyes narrowing even further as she only noticed an alien glow on sea-green eyes.

Seifer's eye twitched at her comment.

"I prefer to be called her Knight!" Seifer corrected, his eyes reflecting a deep hate she didn't know he had.

_Is he really being controlled…? _She couldn't stop but ask herself. Sure, there was something strange about his gaze, something different. The way he looked at her now wasn't the same she knew of him but still, his eyes weren't void as, they didn't have that blank stare she'd seen on others that were being controlled by the woman's terrifying power.

She didn't know what to believe.

Seifer's expression changed to a characteristic annoyed sneer as he stopped pacing and stared at her intently. His eyes still reflected that deep anger, but there seemed to be something else Schala couldn't quite identify.

"This has always been my dream…" He added slowly, whatever else that was in is eyes seemed to outshine the odd glow. "… and I'm glad you're here to see me fulfilling it…"

And there it was, for a second Schala could see a glimpse of the old Seifer but if in a moment it was there, in the next it was gone as the sorceress had noticed it too. Edea strengthened their bond, again shoving his memories back with her influence. Ever since the Tomb had the boy started showing some resistance to her persuasion. She would have to take attention into that in the near future. Right now, he was under control and doing her biding… that's all she needed.

"Too bad you won't be able to appreciate it more…" Seifer's grip on Hyperion tightened as he stood directly between Schala and the sorceress.

Schala recognised this new posture, she'd seen it a thousand times before. The blond Knight raised his dark blade.

"If you want to kill the Sorceress, you're gonna have to pass by me first…" He continued, stepping forward and both gunbladers tensed in anticipation of battle under Edea's watchful eyes.

"C'mon Leonhart…" Seifer started again, raising his other hand in a mocking taunt.

"I won't show mercy on you now!"

Schala's grip on Revolver tightened as she rushed at Seifer. Just as she was upon him, she twirled gaining momentum and stroke at the blond's expecting blade. Their faces were momentarily side by side and Schala could see his characteristic smirk as he twisted his blade, forcing her to back up.

Seifer's smirk widened as Schala twirled her blade in her hand. This was just like old times, just the two of them, blade to blade together in a deadly dance… nothing else mattered, nothing else existed but the two of them.

They charged at each other again, Hyperion and Revolver clashing hard as neither gave in. They pressed against each other, trying to gain the upper hand but their strength and ability were match to match.

Seifer brought his free left hand around, palm facing the brunette but she anticipated his next move. As fire began to gather on the blond's hand, Schala loosen her grip, taking her own hand off the handle and raising it towards Seifer, a white cold mist surrounding her partially gloved hand.

Ice and fire collided explosively causing white steam to cover the float and forcing the two teens away from each other. Only one could see in the total blindness caused by their opposed attacks. Amber eyes narrowed as she focused on the two battling opponents. They were both exceptionally strong, but the Knight had a considerable advantage… Her.

Edea kept following the teens' movements. Even with the white clouds around them, they continued their fierce combat, making the clanking sound of metal against metal to echo inside the Golden Gateway.

The smoke finally cleared and the two battling teens were once again visible, not only to each other but to all the soldiers that followed the duel attentively, though un-reactive and still. At this point of their fight, both gunbladers already showed the signs of their fierce confrontation, both being showered by cuts and scrapes all over their bodies, though none had an obvious advantage.

Schala and Seifer charged again, both spinning for momentum and colliding their blades strongly, causing sparks to fly off. Seifer stepped back, twisting his blade making the brunette step forward to keep her balance. Caught by surprise by his movement – Seifer rarely backed down – she was late to react to his new swing, being cut quite severely on her right leg.

Slowed by her injury, Schala was unable to evade as Seifer attacked her again but was still able to bring Revolver up to parry the blow. Taking advantage of her hindering wound, the Knight stepped behind her, keeping his blade ahead of her and pinning the brunette against him, her raised gunblade the only thing between his own blade and her neck.

Schala struggled to release herself from his hold but, not only could a false movement bring Hyperion upon her, but the man's upper body strength was higher than her own.

"You're mine now..." Seifer whispered in her ear, tightening his hold and rendering her completely motionless.

Schala cursed silently, her resistance futile against his strong grasp. She could feel him smirking behind her, even when she couldn't see his face, and it only innervated her more.

"The hell I am!" She replied and started kicking her legs back.

Though her efforts missed any relevant locales, it was distraction enough so that the blond didn't see coming the harsh headbutt that followed. Seifer grunted in pain as he backed up, releasing his grip on the brunette and raising his free hand to his face. Warm crimson fluid poured down his face from his, apparently, broken nose making the blond curse under his breath.

But he had no time to complain as, now that she was free, Schala charged again. Seifer recovered as he could, raising Hyperion and scarcely being able to stop the flurry of blows made by Revolver's silvery blade.

He successfully deflected her attacks, casting a fire spell to draw her back but only catching her in the shoulder as she rolled to avoid it. Placing her hands on the float's floor, she spread a thin layer of ice beneath them, causing Seifer to strain to keep his balance.

Casting a new fire below him to melt the ice, Seifer raised too late to avoid a new swing, only being able to defend himself with his right arm as he backed away.

He stumbled backwards, his sleeve cut and red with his own blood. After assessing his wound, the blond knight raised his head to his opponent with an angry glare. The brunette SeeD was also pretty banged up, bleeding from her thigh and stomach injuries, the white fur in her jacket's neck line scorched from that last fire.

"Not bad, Leonhart..." Seifer sneered irately.

Schala glared back at him, breathing deeply to recover her breath.

"But I ain't over yet!" He growled and rushed back at her.

He moved fast despite his injuries, straining to raise his damaged arm for his attack. Schala composed herself and charged as well, ignoring the pain in her leg and raising her weapon as well. Both stroke at each other and their blades clashed like thundering clouds... however Seifer's upper strength had been compromised by the harm to his arm and he gave in. Revolver successfully overcame Hyperion and shoved it away as Schala twirled and brought her blade up again against him.

Revolver swung through the air, catching the blond's vulnerable side at full force and bringing the powerful Knight to his knees. Seifer collapsed, his side bleeding heavily, staining his long grey trenchcoat red with his own blood.

He grunted as he tried to stand but his injuries were too severe to allow him any relevant movement at that time. Seifer could only raise his head towards his opponent, glaring furiously at the one that left him in that condition.

Schala breathed in deeply. She had won the challenging duel, but it had been anything but easy. She herself breathed heavily from the strain as she cast a few healing spells on her more serious injuries.

"Wretched SeeDs…" The Sorcerss's voice felt itself hear for the first time since her speech.

Both teens' attention was drawn to the slow rising form of the slim woman. Her amber eyes were set with a deadly glare over the still recuperating brunette.

"A SeeD… Planted in a rundown Garden…" She continued, raising her arms as a dark reddish mist surrounded her hands.

"The accursed SeeD… Will fall…!" Edea added slowly but venomously as she dropped her arms forward and a fireball formed ahead of her, coming straight towards the brunette gunblader.

Schala stepped back. She was still sore from her previous battle and wouldn't be able to dodge the certainly devastating blow. She launched her hands forward, calling forth an ice shield to take, at least, most of the attack's strength.

Schala could already feel the heat of the blast when a green glow surrounded her, followed by a little _**squeak**_**.**

The combined defence of the ice shield and the reflective barrier weren't enough to bounce the spell back to its caster, but were barely enough to prevent it from reaching its target, the shock wave throwing the brunette a few steps back.

When the steam formed by the contact of fire and ice subsided, there was a cute little green dragon with a ruby stone on his forehead, standing between Schala and the sorceress and, when the brunette glanced beside her, there were Inara and Rian standing there, weapons at the ready.

"Yo!" Inara greeted in her characteristic mock salute.

"We're here for you… We can take her out if we work together!" Rian put in as the two newcomers prepared themselves to back up the SeeD leader completely.

Edea narrowed her eyes at the little, but ancient Guardian before her as Carbuncle gave another cute _**squeak**_, turning to the teens and leaping into the air. The precious scarlet stone on his forehead shone brightly and the youngsters were suddenly invaded with comfortable warmth. Schala's injuries healed before their eyes as the three of them felt a wave of confidence surrounding them.

A green barrier flashed ahead of them once again as the little creature landed and stared at them. Following a sign from his master, Carbuncle squealed in happiness of a job well done before jumping and twirling in the air, disappearing in a blast of blue-green soap-bubbles as it returned to his master's mind.

"You're late." Schala said calmly and somewhat jokingly, more comfortable now that her wounds had healed.

Passing her initial shock that the stoic brunette had actually made a funny – somewhat -, Inara replied in toe.

"Well…" She started with an amused smile. "You know how I like to make an entrance." She added but a cry of _"Head's up!"_ made their attention turn to the bolt of lightning that came their way.

The three teens jumped to the sides, avoiding the heart of the sorceress's attack, Carbuncle's enhanced defences protecting them from the peripheral and stray charges. Stumbling back to their feet, the SeeDs and Rian had to decide quickly on their next course of action since the Sorceress didn't seem too willing to give them a break for a conference.

Edea raised both her arms above her head, electricity still coursing through her long dark fingers as a new set of lightning bolts showered upon the float, making the teens keep in constant movement to avoid being burned to a crisp.

Schala barely rolled outta the way in time to avoid a new charge, raising her hand and casting a Fira of her own against the woman. The blue protective bubble barely flickered as the spell hit, Edea's shielding being much more powerful than their own.

The sorceress didn't even seemed shaken up by the SeeD leader's attempt at harming her as she readied a new set of spells. These SeeDs were being annoyingly evasive.

Inara finally caught a second's break and raised Valiant, firing a couple of AP shots at the sorceress only to have the bullets destroyed on contact just as it happened with the sniper round. Avoiding the powerful Ice spell that followed, Inara jumped to the side as Rian reached back to his weapon.

Cardinal soared through the air like a red blur, but it also proved futile as, once it reached Edea's barrier, it was hurled back as if it had hit a brick wall. A new fireball came his way as the sorceress responded to his feeble attack.

Having the sorceress momentarily focus on her companions, Schala was able to get closer to the dark-clad woman. Schala rushed, raising her blade and swinging hard against the slim, dark woman… but she never reached her.

Schala was thrown back as Revolver collided hard with Edea's protective shell, the blade and its owner trembling from the impact as it felt like she had just rammed against a steel barricade.

The sorceress glared. Even if the brunette's strike was far from breaking the barrier, its vibrations were still felt inside it. The SeeD needed to be taken care of before she could become a threat.

White mist surrounded Edea's hands and when she lowered them, a stream of ice shards irrupted from the ground in a straight line, headed for the brunette. Schala jumped to the side but the sorceress launched a second similar attack to her escape path forcing the young woman to jump to avoid the most of it. A third alike spell was cast in front of her, catching her in her leg as she strained to try and avoid it.

With a localized fire spell, Schala was able to escape the ice trap, but the Sorceress just kept at her with the same or other elemental spells.

Now that Edea was focusing solely on the brunette SeeD, Rian and Inara were left somewhat unattended, though some of the spells did force either of them to take on evasive actions.

"Dammit! She's coming down on Schala too hard!" Rian pointed out, after avoiding a stray blizzard stream. "We gotta do something!"

"I know…" Inara said bitterly. This thing was not going on well. "We're gonna have to bring down the big guns." She added under Rian's curious eyes as she started to focus.

.

Schala charged in again, jumping high and striking at the barrier that once again shook on impact but didn't break, not even a little crack appeared in its shimmering, flawless surface. The brunette was thrown back by an invisible force, loosing her balance on landing. She knelt down and raised her head, seeing the sorceress focusing on a new spell she didn't know how to avoid.

A massive fireball left the dark woman's slender fingers and advanced toward the defenceless SeeD, who cringed in anticipation. Just as the frightful attack was upon her, the ground shook and something big stood in front of her. His large spiked mace weapon hit the fireball like it was a baseball, throwing it off to explode in the gate's interior, shaking its entire structure.

Schala raised her eyes as a second, not as tall as the first one, figure stepped beside her. She nodded in thanks to the Brothers for their timely rescue as, with a "You're welcome" smile, the two earthen Guardians charged at the sorceress, their twin spiked maces at the ready.

"You're alright?" Rian asked once he and Inara rejoined the SeeD leader.

Schala nodded as she got back to her feet, her eyes on the Brothers that were currently pounding on the protective shield with their weapons and having little results.

_We__ need to…_

"We need a plan… those two can't hold her off forever!" Inara finished her thoughts as she reloaded Valiant with Explosive ammo and fired a couple of shots at their target.

The bullets again didn't pass the barrier, causing a bigger explosion than before but nothing more beside that. Schala saw as the bubble flickered slightly when the Brothers' attack hit approximately the same spot as the sharpshooter's slugs and an idea formed in her head.

She stepped up, a look of determination reflecting on her greyish-blue eyes as Inara caught the familiar expression.

"So what's the plan?" She said nonchalantly, a tricky smile on her face as the brunette looked back at her.

"We'll keep attacking the Sorceress, and you tell the Brothers too…" She started, turning back to look at the battle as the guardians either dodged, bounced the powerful magic back or endured the harsh spells. "We will focus on one point of the barrier, all our attacks will hit that single spot!" She told them, turning to face them. "If we centre our attacks in one single point, the barrier may weaken there momentarily, allowing us to break through."

"Well, it's better than nothing!" Inara added with a smile. "So where do we hit?" She asked, supporting Valiant over her shoulder as she looked at the brunette.

"Mark the spot." Schala replied, since the red-head's long range abilities would make setting their target much easier for future reference.

Inara smirked wider, pulling her shotgun and aiming at the barrier.

_Listen up you two!_ She sent to the entities currently attacking the sorceress. _Next time you attack, aim it here!_ She stretched her arm forward, bringing Valiant down with it as she aimed at a central point about a meter and a half off the ground.

Inara pulled the trigger and the bullet hit its mark. Immediately after, the Brothers stuck to their part of the deal, slamming their maces together they rushed at the sorceress, hitting the exact same spot their master's bullet had hit. The protective bubble shook worse than before but still it wouldn't give in as Edea's amber eyes narrowed.

This confrontation was becoming more troublesome that she thought it'd be.

She released a pulse from her form, passing unaltered through her shield and slamming against the two guardians, hurling them backwards as they lost contact with the ground. They flew off and immediately the teens came into action. Schala charged as the other two backed her up, firing or launching their weapons from afar, adding the occasional spell to the mix.

Schala charged her as the Sorceress prepared to cast a new spell at the teens, but found her concentration disrupted when the two heavy Guardians leaped back into the float, causing it to shake tremendously.

Taking advantage of the provided opportunity, Schala stroke at the barrier, causing it to flicker considerably before being thrown off by its still powerful counter force. Edea had no time to ponder, however at the effectiveness of those last attacks as the Brothers seemed to be up to something.

The two siblings were stuck in an animated discussion none of the remaining occupants of the parade car could hear, except Inara, who was trying to hide her smile. Finally, the two brothers seemed to reach an accord. Each stood in battle position, but they were facing each other instead of their previous target. Holding their maces with one hand, they raised their other into the air and then down, Minotaur keeping his hand closed in a tight fist as Sacred had it open.

The largest brother cringed as the shortest smiled, approaching his younger brother and lifting him up effortlessly into the air. Minotaur still struggled slightly as Sacred angled his hold, taking a step back for balance before throwing him forward, straight at the sorceress.

The teens jumped out of the way as Minotaur cried all through his flight. He collided hard, the youngest brother slamming against the barrier at such force that the vibrations almost made Edea, and everyone else standing on the float, to lose their footing. She regained her balance just as the eldest brother rejoined his youngest, and her anger was immeasurable.

Her eyes were flamed with fury as she focused on the two guardians, who had to suppress shivers of anticipation. Her whole form became out of focus as a massive tornado formed around her. The strongest winds surrounded her and the Brothers gave an involuntary step back as the winds left her and headed for the siblings.

Everything inside the gateway was being tossed aside with the strong winds as the impressive tornado caught the Brothers in its spin. Despite their heavy weight the Earthen creatures were lifted from the floor, their forms twirling around uncontrollably and painfully inside the core of the hurricane.

Both Minotaur and Sacred felt their strengths leave them not only for the lack of contact with the ground, but from the harsh aerial movements that had always proven extremely painful for them.

The winds slowed to a stop, the Brothers falling down like a pair of tossed stones. Upon reaching the ground, they broke down into a cloud of dust as they forcibly returned to their master's mind. Schala jumped through, her gunblade raised high as she descended onto the sorceress. She lowered Revolver, applying all of her strength as its silvery blade connected hard with the protective barrier but this time, contrary to what had happened before, the blade didn't bounce off, instead it seemed to sink in the bubble just a little bit.

Edea's eyes widened as Schala's narrowed hers. Their plan had worked, the sorceress's shielding was giving in. Now, she had just one chance to end it.

Revolver's blade sank deeper as the brunette pressed the trigger a couple of times for maximum effect. She had to act fast before the sorceress could recover. The blade penetrated it fully, making a small cut clean through the barrier.

Schala twisted her gunblade, pressing the trigger and the defensive shell shattered around the two women. Edea looked up at the SeeD leader in disdain, refusing to show fear as Schala raised her gunblade for the final blow.

In less than a second, it would all be over…

The clear, silver blade descended as in was slow motion, inching closer to the dark woman's proud frame. Then suddenly, a dark blade intercepted it. Grey-blue eyes widened as Seifer came in between of Schala and her target, wielding Hyperion in his left hand since his right one was still severely injured.

More out of surprise than anything else, Schala backed out as she parried the blond's enraged, if yet sloppy, strikes, stepping back from the sorceress towards the other edge of the float.

Meanwhile and as Inara and Rian rushed to her side, the increasing ruckus around the gateway made them look around. Their eyes widened in concern as the soldiers, that until that point had kept their distance, were now hurrying towards the float and them.

"Oh crap…" Both teens cursed under their breaths as they reached for their weapons so as to stop the wave of enemies that were coming upon them.

.

"Impudent SeeDs!" Edea glared as the SeeD and the Knight once again crossed blades. She had underestimated these youngsters, a mistake she swore never to make again. Still her hate and anger ran deep as she decided she would end their futile resistance once and for all.

The sorceress raised her right hand, cold mist starting to gather around her entire form, from the end of her dark dress to the edges of her slim fingers.

.

Inara and Rian started to try and fight off the first soldiers to approach the float by its sides, resorting to spells and their ranged weapons to keep them at bay as they hoped Schala would end the mission soon. But more and more galbadians advanced on them every passing second.

.

Schala finally recovered from her initial shock. It had surprised her not only that the blond could still stand, but that he actually would stand in her way. Was the sorceress that important to him?

With a new swing of her blade, Schala disarmed Seifer, Hyperion flying off far beyond his reach as he crumbled to a kneeling position, his previous adrenaline rush completely drained.

"You're losing it, Seifer."

.

Edea began to glow as the icy wind playing at her fingertips solidified into three sharp and deadly icicles. Her cruel amber eyes matched her malicious smile as she focused on the brunette SeeD.

.

Sea-green eyes looked up at stormy blue, a deep resentment running deep within them that almost made the girl flinch. Those were indeed _not_ his eyes, not the Seifer she knew and who annoyed the hell out of her. Where that Seifer was, she couldn't tell, but this one would get in her way with the same kind of stubbornness characteristic of the original. There was only one way to guarantee he would not jeopardize her mission.

Revolver's edge neared the blond knight's throat, leaning over it slowly but already drawing a drop of blood.

_No… this isn't how I want to end this…_ The brunette thought, removing her blade to the side as she closed her eyes. Whatever words she'd use to convince herself of what must be done, she just couldn't do it… not like that.

Shaking her head, she stepped back, willing her mind to focus. The sorceress still needed to be taken care of and she had lost precious time.

Schala raised her head to the one responsible for everything.

What happened next was all so fast…

Edea launched her arm down and as so, the long ice shards were like thrown forward. There was barely enough time to react as Schala jumped from one foot to the other, avoiding two of the deadly spears but suddenly feeling a sharp and cold pain on her chest as the third icicle stabbed itself in her lower chest, just barely avoiding her heart.

Seifer saw the icicle penetrate the brunette and in his weakened state, he felt his own heart being pierced and broken. His eyes regained their old glow for a few seconds before disappearing completely. As Schala fell back, something inside him died.

Inside the Knight's mind, the Unknown King sighed in frustration. The memory, the young brunette female herself was the only one that could change his current master's devastating fate. But with the woman's tragic demise, breaking the Sorceress hold on him felt impossible.

.

Edea watched with amused malevolence as the girl was thrown off the float by the sheer force of the contact, her left hand releasing her weapon as her right reached forward, as if waiting for someone to get a hold on it, prevent her from falling.

But there was no such a hand.

.

Inara and Rian continued to struggle with the incoming soldiers that came nearer to them by the second and were practically upon them. Though they were originally planning to let Schala handle the Sorceress while they kept the soldiers at bay, they were soon to be overwhelmed. Rian turned to the inside of the float, seeing Schala standing farther from the sorceress than he remembered, and with the fallen knight at her feet. Seemed he had lost part of the action.

He was about to call out to her when the ice shards flew at the woman and he witnessed with wide eyes as she was hit by one of them.

"Schala!" He yelled out at her, his heart filled with concern and panic as he saw her body fall back and off the float.

He watched her fall like in slow motion and forgot all about their predicament as he made to run to her but found himself unable to as he was immediately restrained by a couple of soldiers that forcibly surrendered his weapon and kept him still.

His chocolate brown eyes shifted to the other side of the float, where he hoped the other woman would be in a more favourable condition to help the SeeD leader. However, when his gaze reached the point he last saw the red headed sharpshooter, she was nowhere to be seen. Soldiers were already occupying that edge of the float, leaving Rian to wonder whether Inara had already been captured.

.

Schala fell off the float, landing painfully on the hard stone ground beneath her. Her chest ached tremendously and she felt weak and drained, with no strength to move, let alone cast any sort of healing spell on her self. She just laid there, starring at the golden ceiling of the archway, trying in vain to control her breath and not choke on her own blood that rose to her throat.

Despite his feeling of loss, Seifer moved to the edge of the float, where the SeeD had fallen. He felt numb with pain as he crawled over to take one last look at the woman who haunted his thoughts and dreams for over ten years now. He leaned over the edge and looked down at her sprawled form. His sea-green eyes regained some of their glamour as he saw she still lived.

Her body was numb with cold of both the ice shard stabbed in her body, but also for the loss of the vital crimson that spurted from her severe wound.

Unable to act, to even move, Seifer only stared as the woman's life faded slowly and painfully.

.

Edea straightened up. Finally the SeeD threat had been dealt with and she was now free to continue with her plans without further interruptions.

That's what she'd like to believe, but the sorceress knew these wretched humans were resilient when it came to resisting their own demise. That's why she needed to gain access to Galbadia Garden and destroy the remaining facilities as soon as possible.

Edea stepped forward, her gaze suddenly falling on her Knight that knelt near the edge of the float, where the SeeD had fallen. The woman narrowed her eyes as she seemed unable to reach the blond's mind. It seemed so filled with raging emotions, among them the most strong seemed to be sorrow and l…

**BANG!!**

The loud sound cut her thoughts short as she turned around to see what the commotion was about. The door to the inside of the gateway slammed open as several soldiers came out, more than anyone could ever believed could fit in such a cramped room.

Among the many soldiers that fell off from the inside, like a bag's contents leaking through its sutures, seemed to be more differently dressed teens. Those were certainly the ones responsible for the locking of the gates, more than probably SeeDs.

One of them, a man with long blond hair, seemed unconscious as he was carried by a couple of soldiers as another male, this one taller with shorted brown hair, was being restrained by about four soldiers, after being forcibly disarmed.

Then, to the woman's great amazement, an authentic pile of soldiers squeezed through the narrow door, all of them seeming to be covering a possible third person. The men were suddenly thrown back by the person they were attempting to control, a young blonde woman with spiky hair and boyish clothes that effectively pounded on any men that dared step too close. Though she already showed many cuts and bruises, much like her companions, she also seemed to hold a great deal of stamina as she still fought the soldiers off despite being greatly outnumbered.

Tired of being knocked around, the soldiers formed a circle around the young woman, keeping their distance as they cast upon her a variety of status ailments.

Zanya stumbled back, feeling like she had just been hit by a runaway train, she was unable to resist further as some soldiers came at her again, finally succeeding in restraining her.

That matter apparently resolved, Edea noticed the grates of the gateway were finally being drawn back into the structure as she focused on the other edge of the float once more. Her knight kept looking down as she approached, curiosity rose in her as to what had kept the blond's interest.

As she stepped near her knight, Edea finally saw what had gotten him in such a trance. The SeeD woman, she still lived.

But not for long, the dark woman verified as life slowly faded from the brunette. A sick amusement invaded her as she saw with cruel eyes the end of another SeeD. Yet, Seifer's behaviour disturbed her somehow. With his mind under her control, his feelings for the girl, no matter how strong, shouldn't matter.

_Maybe… _Edea pondered suddenly, as if arguing with herself. _She may still prove useful… she may have information valuable to our goals…_

That reasoning seemed to appease, somewhat, that not so tiny part of her that wanted nothing more than kill the SeeD. But the information they could gather from the SeeD leader might become of use in the near future. Not to mention that acquiring such information from the proud SeeD would be quite entertaining.

.

Schala had finally reached her limit. Her strengths were gone, her blood was practically gone as well as only stubbornness and the will to live kept her alive. But will alone is not enough when your body can no longer sustain life, and hers was slipping along with the vital crimson fluid that no longer coursed through her veins.

Schala's eyes had long lost her focus as she struggled against letting them close. She knew that if she closed her eyes she might never be able to open them again… but one can only fight so much…

Her eyelids began to lower, slowly and still they would shot open at times, refusing to go down quietly but drained of the strength to resist the deep slumber her body demanded of her. Her eyes started to close, her unfocused sight lowering from the golden brick ceiling, to the light circle above the float to the float itself and the people that stood near the edge of it, the few that she could see from her laying position.

The tallest one was dressed in black and had a large golden frame over her shoulders with two silk veils waving at her back. The sorceress looked down on her with sick amusement, but the brunette barely registered anything at that point… till her fading stormy blue locked on fixed sea-green.

Seifer noticed as her eyes locked on his, and her dying heart skipped a beat at the recognition. The woman was fighting but her strengths couldn't last forever and he knew it. And no matter how strongly he wanted to go down there and bring her back to life, something higher than him prevented him from doing so…

He could only watch as her eyes glazed, and his attention in her was so great he barely listened at the woman beside him. The sorceress, his mistress spoke in that alluring voice of hers, but it was nothing more than background noise for him now.

"My Knight… our business with these… _SeeDs,_ is yet terminated…" Edea spoke though his attention spam was short to none… still, she knew he heard her and would follow her commands.

"We must know everything… you will interrogate the captured SeeDs… starting with this one…!" She added, casually signalling the brunette below them.

Though he wasn't really listening to her, her words still reached Seifer making him frown at the reference of him interrogating the woman who just breathed her final breath.

Schala's eyes glazed and went completely blank, her heart still pumping a couple more thrusts of thin blood. Seifer's eyes blanked out as well as life escaped the one who was once, the most important person in his world.

.

Still resentful of her Knight's inattention towards her, Edea focused on the dying woman beneath her as she waved her hand at her.

.

The heart stopped, no more air entered her lungs as her body finally gave in.

Then suddenly, the ice shard stabbed in her chest shattered in a million pieces that vanished on thin air. The pool of blood that formed beneath her remained, not returning to the inside of her as the wound in her chest healed without leaving a mark of ever being there in the first place. Internal organs were mended, skin and muscular tissue growing back as her insides and out were completely cured.

Then there was a heart beat… weak and hesitant. Then it beat again and again as air suddenly filled her lungs.

Schala's eyes shot open as she took in air, the sudden intake causing her back to arch. Life burst back into her eyes and body under the emotionless stare of the sorceress and Seifer's widened eyes.

Schala's body collapsed again as she strained for a few moments, her lungs and heart readjusting to the return of activity, coughing and breathing deeply.

Life flowed back into her, and she was clear minded for a second before the weariness of the battle and blood loss – that the sorceress powerful healing magic didn't renovate – took hold of her again. She felt weak as her eyes started to close again, this time sure that they'd open again.

As her eyes fell, they met with Seifer's that shone with a familiar relieved glow.

Stormy blue locked on sea-green for a few seconds… then everything went black…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: I'm… BAAACK!!_

_That's right, sorry for the almost monthly delay… As I warned you before, I went on holidays for the first couple of weeks of September… Then two days after returning from the beautiful locale of Algarve, I had an Exam… that's right… and I didn't study a thing, but I still went (Didn't pass though… the teacher hates me, but that's beside the point). Oh, and a few days after that, school started again… and it's been a heavy first week, not to mention I got sick…_

_All that to justify my delay, sorry people, I'll try to update faster… Next up is the third Lanara dream… shouldn't give me too much trouble ;P_

_Love ya all, people that read it and like it and return to read some more XD, Keep up the reading 'cause I'll surely keep up the writing XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	24. Chapter 24: Unfamiliar Ceilings

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII… and I doubt anyone would ever give it to me…_

**Chapter 2****4 – Unfamiliar Ceilings **

Her eyes opened slowly, focusing on the familiar ceiling on top of her head. _What time is it?_ She wondered as there was nothing she would want more than going back to sleep. But an additional presence in the room signalled her that someone might want her up.

"Auntie Lana, wake up!" The tiny, young female sounded from somewhere around her, causing the once Galbadian soldier to grumble as she turned in the bed, pulling the sheets over her head.

"C'mon, Auntie Lana!" The small child kept calling out, nudging the heavy sleeper. "There's someone here to see yoo." She added and finally seemed to be able to drag a reaction as a muffled question came from under the sheets.

"Who could it be at this ungodly hour…" she mumbled, still unwilling to come out.

"I dunno…" The little girl happily replied, still trying to get the woman out of bed. "She had funny hair and was wearin' funny clothes…" She continued.

At that, more than vague description, something clicked inside the raven-haired woman's head. She did indeed know someone with the so called "funny hair and clothes", and though the former soldier's companion knew where to find her, it was highly unlikely that she would come all the way there.

"She stayed there talking to Uncle Ryu…"

Now that awoke Lana fully as the woman sat up in the bed immediately.

"This strange woman is in the pub?" She said while looking down at a smiling face.

The little girl couldn't be more than five years old. She had short brown hair, barely under her ears, and was wearing a cheerful simple green dress. She skipped from one foot to the other as the woman, slowly, rose from the bed.

"Yup. She wanted to see yoo that's why I came and call yoo!" She beamed happily, setting her starry eyes on the older woman. "Am I a good girl?"

"No, you're not!" Lana said suddenly quite serious as she lowered to the little child's height. "It's very dangerous to walk out there by yourself. You're still too little to wander off alone." She explained, a look of concern and fear for the little girl on her face. After all, she was only…

"I'm not so litwe, I'm…" She paused as she counted with her fingers "… Five! And it's right next door." She added with a smile. "So, it's ok."

"It's still dangerous!" Lana stood up and paced around the room. "There's monsters looming very close and even through the town's limits… there's like… animals, dogs and cats that can bite and scratch ya… cars that can run ya over …"

Lana paced around, enumerating the large amount of dangers, each one getting more unlikely as she continued gaining giggles from the small child.

"…Wild chocobos that can stomp on ya … meteors that can rain on ya… the ground can open up and swallow you whole… a tsunami could hit and the strong waters could take you away…" She stopped as a particular high pinched giggle reached her ears and she turned to the child, approaching and kneeling before her.

"If anything would ever happen to you, Auntie Lana's gonna cry…" She added while patting her gently on the head.

Then the little girl launched her arms over the woman's shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"I'll be ok." She said with such a certainly, it amazed even the raven haired. "I'll just call yoo, Auntie Lana!" She added with her big, brown eyes set on her bright, green ones. "You'll come rescue me, right!?"

Lana's eyes widened momentarily, surprise more than evident in them. Of all the things she could expect the little girl to say, that was not one of them. Lana reflected hard on her words and a smile crept into her features.

"You're goddamn right I will!" She emphasized, rubbing the child's head and drawing giggles from her.

"Now, be a good girl Elle and wait for me downstairs while I get changed, ok?" Lana asked.

"Ok!" Little Ellone cheered, whooping into the air before turning around and rushing downstairs.

"Wait for me, you hear!?" Lana called out as the girl disappeared behind the staircase.

"Yeeees!" She heard the child shout back from the lower floor.

Lana smiled as she stepped to the side, towards the small bathroom of the room. It had been almost half a year since she, quite literally, dropped into town bloody and hurt from her daring escape from Centra. Most of the townsfolk didn't like strangers, and Lanara presented no exception.

But one was different, one person took her into his home and took care of her, nurturing her back to health.

At first glance she thought she had been saved by an angel. After their rude fall back in the Centra continent, they were "rescued" by fishing boats that roamed those waters. But their resources were deficient and scarce so, not only were their injuries not treated in the best of ways, but after a storm broke through the small pseudo-fleet they were separated from each other.

The fate of her friends remained unknown to her for months till she had the idea of sending a letter to Kiara's hometown. She figured the dark-skinned woman would return there at first opportunity, she had her family there after all.

Lana splashed some cold water on her face, fully awakening her. Yes, Kiara should be the only one who knew where she was. The raven haired was never in the best of terms with her parents and the fact that she joined the army only seemed to make it worse. After a truly serious argument at her departure, Lanara felt she had no where to call home…

Till she found herself in Winhill. Sure there was the occasional unfriendly fellow, but at least they hadn't kicked her out of town.

And Ryu was there for her. He was one of the few that didn't shove her off at first sight, instead he had taken her in and cared for her till she was back on her feet. He had even provided a home for her to stay in once she had gotten better.

Lanara stepped back into her room, going for a chair next to a wall where she had laid her clothes for the day. Her eyes went around the room. There were several frames on the dresser and on the walls, and several hanged childish paintings spread all over the walls. Her sharp green eyes caught sight of a particular picture, a happy couple holding in their arms a baby girl.

Her hands passed over the picture. Those were Ellone's parents, both had died protecting the little girl from Estharian troops a few years back and succeeded. Ellone was left in the care of their neighbour and dear friend Ryu and ever since Lanara had appeared, the little girl had taken a special liking to her. And the feeling was mutual.

But Ryu was indeed a very nice man… taking care of her and a little girl without asking for nothing in return. He owned and lived in the pub next door practically his entire life and so he was part of the town. Lanara could only hope that she'd be accepted by the people one day.

Yes, since she had already decided to stay.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Little Ellone skipped around the lower floor of the home she had once called her own. Her bright, brown eyes stared at a picture of her parents wedding and her face fell ever so slightly.

Ellone didn't really remember her parents anymore. They had died when she was very little, too little and these photographs were the only way she could keep part of them alive. She closed her eyes in thought. Ryu always told her that part of her parents lived inside her. Hence, they lived on through her and so, they would never truly die.

Ellone liked that idea, that her parents lived through her, it meant that they were always there with her, watching over her and protecting her. And now she had even more people protecting her with Auntie Lana around.

The sound of footsteps along with the characteristic creak of the fifth to last step, made the little girl turn towards the descending woman. Ellone's face lightened at the sight of the woman currently holding the most importance in her life.

"I waited! Am I a good girl?" She asked cheerfully, causing the older woman to smile as well.

"Yes, a good girl!" Lana replied.

Lanara, obviously, no longer wore the galbadian uniform and, having passed almost six months since she had - willing and at the same time, unwillingly – cut ties with the military, her hair had also grown from the standard and mandatory short style to a shoulder length. Her new clothes also reflected her new civilian status. She wore simple blue jeans and dark tennis shoes, a long, sleeveless, strapless light purple shirt that covered her chest all the way to her thighs, being tied up at the waist by a long, dark red ribbon.

Still there was one piece of her old soldier life that she hadn't abdicated. Her trusty Desert Eagle rested securely on her hip holster, ready for any possible eventuality.

Lana descended the last steps while putting on a simple grey jacket, and turned away from the little brunette girl towards a dresser on the lower floor. Stepping closer to said dresser, her eyes locked on the small frame that mere moments before, held the child's attention.

"Dear Ellone's father and mother…" Lanara started, her face solemn and serious as she looked at the photograph intently and with the utmost respect. "Ellone's been a good girl today…" She closed her eyes in reverie.

A raven eyebrow rose as Lana opened one of her eyes to see the young girl standing beside her in similar contemplation. A smile appeared on her face as little Ellone raised her eyes to her face.

"Right?" Lana added with a smile.

"Yup!" Ellone cheered and skipped towards the door as Lanara followed her out. But not before sparing one more glance at the photo, bowing her head slightly and leaving the house.

Ellone stood by the threshold, waiting impatiently for the woman so that they both could go to Ryu's pub. She jumped in the same place excitedly as Lanara scanned the plaza.

Ellone's parents house stood by the central square of the small town of Winhill, between the pub and a large, fancy mansion that had served on occasion as a military base for Galbadian training and other manoeuvres. Right now it was being occupied by military forces, soldiers that were supposedly there to protect the inhabitants of the town against a possible Estharian attack, similar to the one suffered by the town two years back that took Ellone's parents' lives as many others in analogous small populations.

Of course all those soldiers ever did was standing around in the corner, doing absolutely nothing but hitting on the occasional pretty girl that passed them by – Lanara herself included, much to the woman's boost in self esteem – and being completely oblivious to the constant monster activity.

Apart from that, there was a small grocery, a few other particular homes, two accesses to out of town and a wooden bridge leading to a more thin populated area. The town wasn't very big to begin with.

The woman's attention was once again drawn to the little girl beside her and her smile grew. The town might be small, but these two people living in it meant the world for her.

"Ok, ready?" Lana started, stretching her hand down for Ellone to take, which she immediately grasped.

"Re-ady!" The small brunette replied.

"Now's our chance!" Lana added, standing in position to run for it.

"Cha-nce!" The girl cheered, tightening her grip on the older woman's hand.

"GO!" The raven haired shouted and broke into a run, along with the little girl. Obviously, the woman didn't run at her full capacity, just so that she could keep up with the child's pace.

A few seconds were enough to cross the little over five metres that separated the two thresholds, and the two females found themselves in front of the pub's door.

"Made it!" Lanara sighed in relief, pretending to be out of breath.

"See, it's completely safe!" Ellone let out, though during their run she never let go of Lana's hand.

Releasing it now, Ellone rushed inside the pub as Lanara spared one more glance around her, verifying that the area was completely secure before heading inside.

The pub was simple and well decorated, several small round tables over pristine wooden floors, the walls were dark red with dark brown wooden panels and a sharp looking counter. In addition to the exit door, there was a staircase leading to the upper floor and a passage behind the counter, leading to the kitchen and cellar. On each and every table, there was a small vase with beautiful white flowers that released a soft and pleasantly relaxing scent all over the room.

Lana basked at the sweet smell and only after a while did she observe her surroundings, her eye catching sight of the scene ahead of her.

"You understand, Ellone? No more wandering off on your own." Said a male voice coming from the kneeling man near the small child.

Ryu stood up, allowing Lana a better look at the young man. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at his silky, shoulder length brown hair, a bit wild on the edges as part of it fell over his dark blue eyes. He wore a simple dark red polo shirt, light blue jeans and brown shoes that fit his shape perfectly, in Lana's opinion.

"Now, go to your room and play." He told her in a soft, non-reprehensive voice as he raised his eyes and found the young woman staring up at him.

Their eyes locked on each other's for a moment and Lana felt herself lost in his deep blue gaze. She didn't even registered how long it passed before she tore her gaze and looked downwards to hide the blush covering her cheeks, her attention suddenly drawn to the little girl next to her.

"I got in twouble…" Ellone whispered lowly as Lana knelt down to stay at her level.

Her bright, emerald eyes spared one last glance upwards, towards the brunet but, once their eye contact was broken he turned around, returning to behind the counter.

Lana turned back down to focus on the little girl.

"That's because you broke your promise and went out on your own…" She explained, suppressing a chuckle at the girl's cutest, little pout. "Too baaaad…" She whispered with a smile.

Though her words were spoken at a low tone, Ryu's hyper sensitive hearing still picked up on it. The young man stopped and turned to the two of them, shaking his head slightly.

"Lanara!" He called out, the sudden if yet slight sharpness in his tone caused the woman to jump to her feet and actually stand in attention, a consequence from her years in service she hadn't quite lost yet.

"Don't teach Ellone bad English, speak to her properly." He instructed, gaining a salute out of reflex from the woman.

"Yes, sir!" She replied in tone before she could stop herself.

Ryu frowned, setting his stormy eyes with a glare directed at the woman. Sometimes she made him feel like a drill sergeant. He didn't like that. His cold gaze made the woman cringe slightly and immediately Ryu softened his eyes, turning away from the girls and walking behind the counter.

Lana watched him walk away, suppressing a sigh as her eyes fell down the length of his back. Pulling a leash on her over active imagination, the woman crouched back down at the little girl's height.

"I got'n trouble…" Lana whispered lowly.

"Toooo baaaddd!" Ellone gladly replied causing the two females to giggle as Ryu rolled his eyes at their antics.

_Sometimes I can't really tell if she's a child or an adult…_ He wondered, though unable to suppress an amused smile. Life had indeed become much livelier ever since that woman showed up in their lives.

"You truly haven't changed, have you?" A female and highly entertained voice, sounded from somewhere near the counter, gaining the attention of the remaining occupants.

Lana stood slowly, her eyes scanning for the owner of the familiar voice, finding her old friend standing near the balcony with a half full glass set next to her.

"Kiara…" She whispered at the recognition, a wide grin on her face as she looked at her friend, one she sometimes doubted she'd ever see again.

Kiara had also relinquished her galbadian uniform, her new clothes truly revealing how slim the dark skinned woman really was. She had kept her hair in several thin braids, though they were longer now, and wore a set of tight brown sleeves – of a slightly lighter shade than her skin – that matched the set of leggings covering her legs all the way to her feet. She wore a white piece of cloth covering part of her chest and another at her waist, making a sort of a skirt which longer ends hung from the front and back. Beaded sandals barely covered her feet and a light and customized weapon's belt was strapped to her waist, the glinting of her unique blades escaping through thin rimes of their sheaths.

"It's been a while, Lana." Kiara stated, greatly amused at her friend's bewildered expression.

"Kiara!" Lana cheered as she made her way through the tables towards her friend whose amused face turned to one of worry.

"Woah, Lana… hold up…" She tried but couldn't stop or move away from the other woman as she almost tackled her into a tight embrace.

"I can't believe you're here!" Lana almost squealed as she hugged her strongly, with more strength than anyone would say the average sized raven haired woman possessed.

"Get Off!" Kiara managed to let out despite being barely able to breathe. That woman had quite a grip.

Lanara detached herself from her friend, stepping back and really looking at her, making sure it was really her. Kiara on the other hand, needed no other proof that she was indeed the same Lana they all knew and made fun of. She truly hadn't changed one bit.

"Wow, it's so good to see you! It's been ages!" Lana cried out, almost reaching out for another crushing hug but stopping when the eyes on the other woman's face narrowed in warning.

Lanara suddenly felt a tug on her pants and shifted her attention down to Ellone that hid behind her, her big curious eyes staring at Kiara intently. Smiling, the woman lowered to the little girl's height.

"It's ok, Elle. She's Auntie Lana's friend." She half turned to her companion, who raised an eyebrow in response. "I know she dresses funny, but she's one of the good guys." She added at a lower tone and with a wink that made the girl nod seriously and wink as well.

With a smile, Lana stood straight and refocused on her old friend as Ellone kept half hiding behind her, murmuring something on "_good guys…_"

"It's only been a few months, but I get what you mean. You seem well." Kiara started up again. Though she still carried a curious expression, she didn't inquire as to what was going on in her head.

"Yeah… you too." Lana replied, staring up in though as the sound of Ryu working behind the counter registered only as background noise, so accustomed was she to the sound.

"It really only has been a few months, huh? Feels like a life time…" She whispered to herself as her eyes glanced at the other two people in the room… well, one and a half people in the room.

Kiara's questioning gaze deepened. The woman seemed to have her head in the clouds, well… more than usual at least. Under her stare, Lanara refocused on the reunion.

"Hard to believe only a few months have passed since our grand escape from Centra…" Lana added loudly, both to disguise her little absentminded moment and to shift the focus of her own mind.

""_Grand escape"_? Not exactly the words I'd use…" Kiara corrected, raising an eyebrow to the choice in words. They had barely gotten out of that experience alive. "It felt more like being chased out…"

"I thought so…" They heard Ryu exclaim as he came out the kitchen area, carrying a plate with some small sandwiches on them and a couple of drinks.

Lanara glared at the young man but her expression seemed more comical than threatening to him as he chuckled slightly. He then set the things on the counter ahead of them, motioning them to eat.

Stuffing a couple of pieces into her mouth, Lana lost her frown as she turned towards the other woman, who seemed pretty amused as well.

"After we got separated by the storm, the boat crashed near these shores and the survivals helped me get here…" She continued, ignoring Kiara's correction from boat to vessel. "I was pretty beaten up… Ryu here nursed me back to health."

Lanara added, her gaze falling on the brunet that simply stared back at her for a second before looking Kiara's way.

"She was a very…" he paused, looking for the best word "… complex patient…" He added eventually, this time suppressing a new chuckle from the frown on the raven-haired's face.

"Thank you, for taking care of Lana." Kiara thanked him in all honesty, receiving a slight bow from the man. Still, the woman couldn't quite resist adding. "I know it must have been… challenging…"

"Indeed…" Ryu faked seriousness though his statement had not been that far from the truth, and both Ryu and Kiara knew it.

"Hey, c'mon guys!" Lana wailed, looking from one to the other as they were ganging up on her. Two against one wasn't fair.

The other two laughed for a moment, not only for her complaint but also and mostly, for the pout the woman sported at seeing she was being made fun of.

"Anyway…" Kiara continued once her laughter was in check. "Our two vessels stuck together and they were kind enough to leave us in Galbadian territory." She informed, as both Lana and Ryu listened to her story. "We were immediately taken to a military hospital and treated with the best of care, though Wada's vocal cords were severely and permanently damaged… she'll never speak again…" She continued under the slight altered expressions of her audience. "But you can basically tell what she wants from her facial expressions." She hurriedly added.

"That's good to hear… her injury seemed so serious…" Lanara led out as Ryu looked at her intently. She really did worry for her friends.

"After we left the hospital, we were both honourably discharged from the military and I travelled around… Looking for you, mostly." Kiara put in.

"So you were worried about me, huh?" Lanara interjected, looking at her with a boost in her self esteem and a smile on her face.

"Not quite… more like bored…" Kiara replied.

And the smile was gone from Lanara's face as it appeared on Ryu's.

"Life's pretty boring without you as an entertainment, my friend." She said, barely controlling her amusement as the other woman's face fell.

"That's a harsh thing to say!" Lanara scoffed, though not really insulted. The woman was practically unable to hold a grudge. "I've been living a productive life here." She emphasized, looking at Ryu for support.

"Well, it's true you are a precious help around here…" Ryu provided, allowing Lanara to save some face. "Though…" Lana tensed. "I think I understand what you mean." He added, looking at the dark skinned woman.

Both smiled wide as Lana pouted, stuffing more food in her mouth as Ryu returned to his dealings.

"So, how's Wada?" Lana suddenly asked, apparently already forgotten of her previous embarrassment.

Kiara looked back at her friend, a smile forming on her face.

"Well, she…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The steel metal floors matched the walls and ceilings of the peculiar construction. The shape of structure was circular with several doors all around it and had a round hole in its centre. The floors stretched both up and downwards, the central column of void space reaching from the top to the very bottom as the only visible access between floors were sets of staircases.

A Galbadian soldier descended the stairs to that particular floor, looking around as if looking for something, or someone. His eyes caught eye of the opened storage room door and he headed its way at a calm pace.

The man entered the room, his eyes travelling around the room. It was a normal looking storage room, several cleaning products and materials, extra gear, locks and chains. He focused on the back side of the room were behind a cage like area, they kept the inmates possessions. Yes, the D-District Prison got many and all kinds of prisoners, from ex-powerful politicians to the common thief. And the best thing? The soldiers and the guards had first pick if the owners would they ever "inexplicably" or "accidentally" perish.

A sound to his side caught his attention as he turned to see someone crouched over some low shelves, apparently going through some materials.

"Hey, cleaning maid!" The soldier called out, making the large woman stop what she was doing.

Unknowingly to him, a vein throbbed on her forehead at his particular choice of words and attitude.

"Get off your ass and head up to the interrogation room on the top floor…" The man added callously with an obvious impoliteness and superiority tone. He probably thought himself _above_ her. "… Some guy had a little accident up there… it's really messy… You're hearing me, ya old ba…"

The man silenced as the woman stood up, fed up with his abuse. He could only stare as she straightened to the full of her height, a good ten centimetres taller than him, and turned to face him.

The large woman had short light, almost blonde, brown hair, no longer with a military cut as her longer bangs were kept away from her face by a dark blue and white bandana, leaning over her forehead. She wore a light grey tunic that reached her knees, with a thick brown leather belt at her waist, some army green trousers that reached the middle of her lower legs and a pair of brown army boots. In her fingerless gloved hands, she still held the pole of the mop she was using and a set of army tags hanged from her neck.

The man stared in awe and slight fear. It wasn't her height nor her impressively muscular physique, not even the fix if yet not intentionally intimidating stare that made the man stare with such intensity, it was the large and deep scar that fell over her neck. Such an injury seemed impossible to survive through.

Wada stepped closer to the man that unwillingly gave a step back. She stopped, looking at the man with her sharp blue eyes and already carrying with her, a mop on one hand and a few cleaning products and materials inside a bucket she carried in her other hand. The soldier kept his ground, though clearly intimidated and didn't move from his spot forcing the woman to step closer to him again.

She raised her hand towards him and the man started to stutter some incomprehensible babbling as she simply, and not too forcibly, shoved the man to the side and walked pass him. He had been blocking the way out of the room and seemed to not intent to move, giving the once Galbadian soldier no other choice if she wanted to attend to her duties.

The man kept staring forward and stayed in that trance like state for a good half an hour.

Meanwhile Wada silently cursed her luck. That had not been what she had in mind when she applied for that job, mopping floors, cleaning people's shit, vomit and blood…

She sighed heavily as she climbed the steps towards the last floor. How she wished to be back at Kiara and Lanara's side. The last she heard of the dark skinned woman had been when she got that letter from Lanara and decided to check out the place, Winhill was it? Not for the first time Wada thought about dropping everything and go too… Life was pretty boring without her friends around.

As she reached the designated floor, the all too familiar scent made her cringe her nose.

She really needed to get out of there…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"No way! I can't imagine her moppin' floors for a living… this from a woman who left home for hating farming…" Lanara cried out between heartfelt laughs. The idea itself was hilarious.

"Yeah." Kiara let out.

She had told her friend all about their other friend's activities, like she took the job in the prison, initially thinking that it was a guard post. Imagine her surprise when they suddenly stuff a mop and bucket in her hands. She was very close to dismissing the job immediately, but the money wasn't half bad and she had nothing else to do.

Though Kiara doubted she'd stay in that career for too long…

"Well, at least she's alright…" Lanara's serious tone suddenly caught the attention of the other two in the room, Ellone having left a while back to go play upstairs. She was looking down, the memories of the last time she'd seen her friend flashing in her mind, making her shiver slightly. "She got me worried there for a moment…"

The memories shared by the women haunted their thoughts for a moment, making the atmosphere in the room heavy. Faced with their solemn expressions and not knowing the reasons and events behind it, Ryu remained silent as he took the now empty plate from the counter, placing it away.

The silence stretched for a few minutes till Lana's mind began to wonder… thinking back on another person of the past…

"Have you heard anything about…" She hesitated for a moment, avoiding eye contact as the other two were drawn from the silence by her words. "… Julius, when you were travelling around?"

"Well…" Kiara looked at her friend intently. She had wondered how long it would take her to ask about him. She just regretted not having much more to tell her. "I heard he got married…"

Lanara raised her eyes to meet her friend's. Kiara seemed to be analysing her reaction but truth was, she didn't know what to say.

"Really…" She let out, lowly. At first, while she was hurt and unknowing of her fate in those days on high sea, her mind often returned to Julius and the last night in Deling. And for a while after she ended up in Winhill, her mind occasionally wondered.

"Yeah, to some politician…" Kiara added, still eyeing the other woman for a reaction. She didn't see what she expected.

"I see…" Lana sighed out. There was a time when a word from the handsome piano player would mean the world to her. There was nothing else she thought about. Now… there was nothing, no sadness or sorrow that the man had moved on with his life.

Of course, she had also moved on with her life… somewhat.

"Who's Julius?" Ryu couldn't take it anymore, such tenseness in the air. His words almost made the women jump, as they had forgotten he was there but he could no longer ignore the emotions he saw reflected in bright emerald eyes, the ones currently avoiding his stare. "Was he another companion of yours?"

"No, he was a piano player in a lounge in Deling city we used to go to lots of times. Lana had a …" The woman grunted as a sudden and unexpected kick in the shins made her stop mid sentence.

Kiara turned, looking accusingly at the perpetrator as Lana glared back a _"shush"_ look.

"Lana had a… what?" Ryu inquired, staring at each of the women as both now seemed to be averting his eyes. His grey-blue eyes narrowed as he felt there was a history there they didn't seemed too keen to share.

"A nothing! I just really liked the music, that's all." Lana quickly dismissed the subject, not daring to look at his dangerous glare for fear of not resisting and spilling the beans.

"Heard he composed and recorded a song, actually…" Kiara suddenly commented, apparently forgotten that the other woman wanted the matter dropped but lightening the mood in the process.

"Really?!" Lanara's neck turned sharply at her direction. He had written a song? She remembered that was something he had always wanted to do.

"He sings too?" Ryu's slightly sharp tone and question barely registered in the raven woman, but Kiara clarified all the same.

"No, he wrote the lyrics and accompanies on the piano, but the singer is a woman called… Faye Young, if I remember correctly." She provided, gaining an _"Ahhh…" _from the young man that kept doing whatever he was doing.

"I'm happy he fulfilled his dream…" They heard Lana sigh out, a peaceful and honest expression on her face that made Ryu both ease up and tense slightly. "I should listen to it sometime…"

"Haven't you already? It's pretty popular…" Kiara put in. "If I'm not mistaken, it's called "Eyes On Me"."

Lana raised her eyes again. _He named it "Eyes On Me"…?_ She wondered, thinking back on their last conversation on the penthouse of Deling's Grand Hotel.

"It's supposedly about being in love… inspired in his own true love that went away and never returned…" Kiara continued, smiling briefly at her friend's expression. She couldn't be sure, after all only three beings knew exactly what had happened in that room that night. Julius, Lana and Hyne. And she doubted she would hear anything from any of them.

Lanara replayed in her mind Julius words and actions that night. The images were still so intrinsically printed in her mind she could almost reach out to them.

"Guess he didn't wait around for her…" Kiara added purposely, under Ryu's watchful eyes.

"So what! Who cares!?" Lanara suddenly burst out, actually raising from the counter bench she had sat in and waving her arms around. "As long as he's alright and happy now… it's all that matters right?"

She stared at the two of them, her eyes slightly mad and neither of them dared to contradict her.

"I guess…" They both let out in almost unison, staring back at her.

"Right, enough talk about this…" She ended the matter, sitting back on the bench and willing herself to calm down as she picked up her drink and lifted it up to her lips.

Kiara and Ryu looked at Lanara intently. Kiara knew Lana always had a bit of a crush for the piano player and hence, always acted strangely near him. But now, there was something else. Her gaze switched to the young man behind the counter as he looked at Lana through the corner of his eyes as he continued his work. She couldn't stop but wonder if there was something going on between him and her friend.

Lana drank her beer without really wanting to, she just needed something to take her mind out of those last thoughts. Her eyes scanned the room, purposely avoiding the other people in it, just searching for something to focus her mind on. That's when she realised it and felt liked banging her head against the wall for not noticing it before.

"You know, I think we have company today…" She whispered to Kiara, smiling away the intensity of the last moments. A buzzing, like static echoed in her head, sometimes low barely audible, but then there were some spikes. It was almost as someone or something was trying to communicate with her, but she couldn't understand it.

"Yeah, my head's buzzing too…" Kiara admitted. This particular event hadn't happened since their escape from Centra. The strange buzzing in their minds, the sudden boost of strength and magic coursing through their veins as that "condition" lasted. Though they didn't know who or what was responsible for it, they had already given it a name. "So the faeries are here, huh…? Should be an interesting day." It always seemed to turn out to be, at least.

"And they'll come in handy too." Lana added as her smile grew, gaining an inquiring look from her friend.

"Handy… what do you mean?" Kiara asked, confused by her choice of words.

"Well, work of course!" She replied lively and so cheerfully that made the other woman almost flinch, though she raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Work?" Kiara asked, wondering what kind of work the raven haired could possibly do in such a small town and exactly in which sense could the presence of the faeries be of any help.

"Yeah… that's right, how long are you staying?" Lanara started, continuing without even giving the chance for the other woman to answer. "Hey, Ryu!" She called out, ignoring her friend's confusion and bewilderment.

"What?" Ryu asked, returning from the kitchen while cleaning his hands in a piece of cloth.

"Can Kiara stay around for a while?" She asked in one go.

"H-Hey!?" Kiara barely let out, defeated by the other woman's hyperactivity and knowing that even if she said anything, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Are you staying in town?" Ryu asked as he focused on the dark-skinned woman. He caught her desperation and had to suppress a smile. Lanara could be quite pushy when she wanted to, and there was nothing anyone could say to make her back off when she had an idea in her head.

"Apparently so…" Kiara let out, resigned to her fate.

"Well, you are welcome to stay but you work for what you eat here." Ryu explained, sending the woman a sympathetic look. "If you're fine with that, then…"

"Sounds good to me." She sighed out, forcing a smile. There she was again, dragged by Lana to another one of her randomness… some things never changed.

"Ok then…" Ryu added, smiling lightly. He believed they must be very good friends to get along like that. "Lanara, you're going on the first daily patrol soon, right?" He asked, turning to the other woman.

"Yup! Right now!" She replied, standing up as Kiara did the same.

"Alright, show your friends the ropes." He added as they started to walk away after Lanara flashed her an _"ok"_ sign. "Have fun and take care you two…" He continued, but suddenly remembered something, focusing back on Lanara. "Don't forget to go see Ellone before you go, I'll start working on lunch."

"Right!" Lana confirmed cheerfully and turned back towards Kiara as Ryu returned to the kitchen. "Wait up a bit, Kiara, I'll be right back." She added before turning around and starting climbing up the stairs.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The night was at its end and the first rays of light should be lighting the horizon, not that any of the teens could see it. The cold steel cell they found themselves in was deprived of any glimpse of the outside environment.

The SeeDs and Rian had been transported during the whole night on several military trucks and as such, none had any idea what had happened to the others till they were thrown into that jail cell one by one.

But there were some who's fate remained unknown.

Neither Schala nor Inara had been brought inside with them and they feared what exactly that could mean. Rian had already relayed to them the events preceding their capture. How Inara disappeared when the soldiers stormed the float, not knowing if she'd been captured or managed to escape, but it was the SeeD leader's fate that worried the survivors the most.

Rian had seen her getting impaled by the sorceress's ice spear but he was dragged away before he could go to her side, not knowing if she was still alive or not. He felt like a tight fist squeezing his insides ever since and only in the last minutes had he been able to finally close his eyes and rest, being overcame by the tiredness and heavy strain of the previous days. Rian had then fallen asleep, half sitting half lying with his back against the cold metal walls.

As Rian slept, Sorphan and Quentin kept their silent, if yet useless, vigil. They were incarcerated and there was little they could do. They had rested in turns for the past hours as they watched over the unconscious form of Zanya, who laid motionless on fetal position over the hard floor.

From all of them, Zanya had been the one to receive the most punishment. Despite being the one to inflict the most damage on their adversaries, those last status affecting attacks took their toll on the woman. Still, when they were taken there, she still struggled fiercely almost like nothing ever happened. However, during the night her demeanour changed. She grew suddenly tired and sleepy and before anyone could react, she collapsed in an undisturbed deep slumber the young men had been unable to drag her from.

Though they could easily attribute it to the accumulated strain of the last days, their past experiences told them otherwise. They had every reason to believe she had fallen into the dream world again and if that was so, it would be a while before she would come to.

Sorphan leaned against the wall, barely able to keep his heavy eyelids from closing and allowing him a couple of precious hours of rest as Quentin still kept his senses sharp and alert, looking over his companions. Though he had some curiosity towards Lanara and Co.'s recent endeavours, his mind stilled on more pressing matters, like their current situation and finding a way out of there, if there was any.

Quentin sighed as he leaned his head back, willing his mind to work on a possible escape plan, having to reel it in as it often wandered on. The fate of their missing comrades haunted his thoughts as did the reaction of the sorceress towards their failed assassination attempt.

Now more than before, he feared that retaliation against Garden was eminent…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kiara had stood by the pub's threshold for a good ten minutes now, tapping her feet as she waited. _She's sure taking her time…_ She wondered as her eyes scanned the area around her. The town, as far as she could see, was quite unremarkable. The only thing that caught her eye in the main plaza had been the small squad of galbadian soldiers that stood by the corner near the flower shop. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as men's attitude never changes.

Her attention was diverted as a door opened behind her. She turned to see her friend exiting the pub.

"Wait a bit, huh?" Kiara inquired, causing the other woman to put up a nervous smile.

"Sorry… got a little distracted…" Lana confessed, laughing nervously. "Anyway, ready to get started?" She asked, subsequently changing the subject.

"Sure…" her friend's reply seemed to indicate it had worked. "Start what, exactly?" Kiara added as she suddenly remembered, she had no idea what the raven haired woman did around there.

"Well, you see…" Lana started, stepping farther away from the door, almost in the middle of the main square.

"Most of the working men in this town were sent off to war." Lana started as Kiara listened, frowning slightly at the road the conversation was going. She knew perfectly well the _mo_ of the military when it came to _recruiting…_

"The only ones left are a few men, old people, children, chocobos, dogs, and cats." Lana continued, waving her arms around slightly. She then turned around to face her friend fully. "And I'm sure you've noticed, but monsters have started to make their way into town… these simple streets are barely safe anymore…"

Lana turned her back again under Kiara's curious and attentive stare.

"I thought I was a goner before this town took me in, and they've taken real good care of me… I just want to return the favour" She added, turning around again with a cheery face.

"You're lookin' at the Monster Hunter of Winhill!" She cheered, raising her hand in a victory sign and gaining a chuckle from the other woman.

"You're gonna help me out, right?" She asked even, gaining a simple but affirmative shrug in response. Lana smiled wider. "Great! Now…" She started. "About our work… We patrol and defeat all the monsters we find, and today we have a bit of shopping to do for Ryu…" She added in an almost whisper, barely audible to the woman standing next to her.

Kiara's small smile went unnoticed as Lana seemed deep in thought and her ramblings. That was so like her, really. Helping a group of strangers for no obvious reason. Some things never changed.

"Let's get on with it, then!" Lana added, drawing her friend from her musings.

Kiara nodded and both women proceeded through the plaza towards the stone bridge at its edge, leading to the outskirts of town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The first rays of sunlight started to lighten the dawn's sky, hitting on the windows of the still truck clumsily parked by the edge of the dirt road that crossed the Galbadian desert.

Inside, whose sleep was not even disturbed by the sun's glare on her face, slept Inara. Sitting on the driver's seat with her head leaning against the side window, the red headed woman seemed trapped in an unnatural slumber.

The dizziness and sleepiness had hit hard and fast and were it not for the sharpshooter's swift reflexes, she might have been unable to steer and stop the vehicle off road and could have gotten in a dangerous accident.

Now that the day had begun, Inara still slept heavily, delaying her on her mission as she experienced the most peculiar dream…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Lana loaded yet another clip in her Desert Eagle, aiming it quickly at the fast approaching swarm of Bite Bugs. She pulled the trigger, several bullets shooting forward in a row, so quick was she that what sounded like a single shot were actually five consecutive rounds fired, each one finding an end in a different monster insect, detaining the sudden attack.

Meanwhile, a pair of sharp blades cut clean through the soft Caterpillar's body mass, causing its greenish sap to fill the ground. Kiara raised her weapons, stopping the stinger of the second larvae's tail effortlessly, advancing and slicing it in three with a dual swing.

The two women straightened up after the battle was finished. Their opponents had been far from challenging, nothing compared with what they had had to face while in the military or simple boot camp training. Still, what the weak monsters lacked in strength, they made for in numbers. In the little over half an hour their patrol had lasted, they had encountered over ten monsters.

"Not much of a fight, are they?" Kiara let out, cleaning her blades before holstering them.

"Perhaps not…" Lana let out, reloading her gun and sheathing it. "But they sure are many…" She admitted, looking around her in case they missed any.

"You do this everyday?" Kiara suddenly asked, looking back at her friend as she turned to face her.

Lana nodded affirmatively. "Up to three times a day, too." She added proudly. Truth was, she started by doing just one patrol a day but lately the monster activity had increased so much that it made her do two more runs a day to keep them from completely taking over the town.

Kiara was thinking practically the same. Were it not for her little _"crowd control management"_, the town could soon be overrun.

"So… are we done?" Kiara asked, lightening the mood both women's thoughts had put them into.

"Hmm… not quite…" Lana added after a moment's pause, looking further down the road.

Kiara raised an inquiring eyebrow. The town wasn't that big, what else did they have to patrol?

"Have to do some shopping for lunch…" Lana provided before Kiara had a chance to ask. But there seemed to be something a bit off.

"… Ok." Kiara replied, frowning slightly at her friend's sudden quiet demeanour.

"Over there…" Lana added with some hesitation as she pointed down the road.

Following her indication, Kiara looked ahead and beyond the dual row of houses where she could identify a church of some sort and a rustic inn, she saw a shop – that must be part bar since there were several tables on the outside with a few people chatting and drinking – right at the edge of town. She nodded in understanding then, but as there was a lack of response, Kiara looked back at Lana.

The dark skinned woman's frown deepened. Lana seemed so hesitant, even fearful for some reason. That was so unlike her.

"What is it? Something wrong?" Kiara found herself asking. This strange behaviour of hers was getting her somewhat worried.

"Nothing…" Lana dismissed her worries though she was not her usual cheerful self.

Kiara's unspoken question went unanswered as Lana resumed her walk towards the modest grocery store in absolute silence. Kiara followed up after her.

The place was indeed rather modest, a balcony and a few tables where the locals relaxed with a few drinks and appetizers in front of them, an old busted jukebox and an unplugged TV set. The townsfolk chatted comfortably and without a care in the world, until they noticed the approaching women. Then, their demeanour changed drastically. The happy and relaxed expressions grew darker and mean, the background noise disappeared completely as the atmosphere became knife cutting.

Swallowing dry, Lanara stepped forward towards the inside of the shop, trying her best not to show how uncomfortable all those hateful and disdainful glares made her feel.

"What do you want?" The shopkeeper asked bitterly, openly glaring at the woman when she got close enough to hear him, though still a bit far off from the counter. Seemed he wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible.

"… Ryu asked me to pick up some things…" She answered, producing a small folded piece of paper from her pants' back pocket. The man all but snatched the paper from her hands, the look of contempt in his eyes never faltering.

Lanara looked at him for a moment as the shopkeeper read the list all the while grumbling something incomprehensible. Though she couldn't understand a word the man was saying, she knew all too well what he was going on about. Her eyes shifted to catch a glimpse at the remaining clients, their chilling stares making her turn back to the shopkeeper as he moved to the back of the establishment to go pick up some of the groceries on the list.

They might not like her, but Ryu was one of them. And despite taking her into his care, fact that created some tension between him and the remaining locals, he was still part of the town.

While Lana attended the shopping, Kiara stood just by the threshold, looking from afar as the townsfolk sudden change of attitude made her stray from their path. She was somewhat used to that reaction. When she was a soldier there were many people from small town like that one, whom looked at them with suspicion and detachment. However in this town it seemed to be worse than ever, especially towards Lana.

Kiara remained silent, however, not voicing her questions as Lana waited by the counter, tapping her finger lightly on the stone. She stopped as the only waiter approached her position. Turning with a smile, she tried to make conversation.

"So… How's everything going on…?" She asked, making the tall and skinny young blonde – the daughter of the owner – stare at her in obvious disregard.

For a moment there, the girl seemed surprised and affronted she would even speak to her. In such a small town, the personality of the parents pretty much was shared by the children and the few young ones' in town behaved as loathingly towards her as the older folk. But it wasn't only that for most of the young women in town. Just about every one of them was attracted to Ryu. He was handsome, polite and had a business of his own, all traits that pleased both the women and their parents.

Then came Lana. This… stranger, out of town was taken in by him and cared for. She was the envy of just about every young female in town.

"Could be better…" The girl replied bitterly, her angry eyes set on the raven haired woman. "How's Ryu?" She asked suddenly, a fake smile hiding her intentions and making Lana somewhat more uncomfortable.

"Uhh… he's doing fine." Lana clumsily responded, caught slightly off guard.

"That's good…" The woman continued with that same fake smile and misleading sympathy. "But it would be even better if you left!" She finished, all deception lost as she openly glared at the other woman. It was obvious that the "you left" reference wasn't just "leave our establishment" but more like "leave this town and never come back".

Lanara said nothing, she just stared back at her. Their eyes stayed in each other's for a moment before the shopkeeper returned and his daughter returned to her business.

"Here you go." He said in everything but kindness. "Now get outta here!" He added harshly, thought mimicked by the other people inside. Once again, Lana picked up on the extra meaning.

_They hate me__… Seems I can't get into their good sides…_ Lana regretted. She had been in town for six months now. She thought someone would have warmed up to her…

"… Thanks…" She sighed out, placing the shopping bag in another she took from her pocket and passing the handle over her head so that it was stable and properly conditioned. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the room, seeing the same despising feeling on every other customer in the place and turned around, walking towards the door.

Smiling slightly, Lana walked out under Kiara's examining eyes. The raven haired just kept walking, not saying a word and simply signalling to a "job done" as she walked away. Kiara spared one last look inside the room, seeing the people looking anxiously for the two women to leave. That made her glare at them, but said nothing and followed Lana up the road.

Kiara stayed silent till they were out of earshot, when she stopped walking and faced her friend.

"What was that all about?!" She asked in contained anger, one she had been holding ever since the shopkeeper first directed a word at her friend.

Lana walked silently a few more steps, leaving Kiara a bit behind before she turned around to face her.

"People don't like strangers or newcomers much…" Lana explained lowly. She still seemed a bit shaken up from the experience. No one likes to be treated like that.

"That's no excuse!" Kiara stressed in frustration, and would have continued if Lanara hadn't interrupted.

"You see…" She started. "First there were the Galbadians that came when they wanted, took what they wanted under the excuse they were here to protect them but never did anything to help out…" Lana explained in the middle of the empty streets, her eyes setting on the few buildings as she relayed the situation to Kiara. "Then they left just as they came, after consuming what they wanted and rarely paying for it… that happened loads of times, as it still does and let's just say it doesn't suit well with the townsfolk."

Kiara understood all too well. And the fact Lana was – or had been – a soldier herself certainly didn't help.

"Then worse was when the Estharians came…" She paused as Kiara attention refocused on her. "They came, pillaged the town, killed many of the people here…" She hesitated as, quite uncharacteristic of her, anger spilled from her eyes. "They took the children…"

Kiara listened in silence. She had heard this before, as the Esthar's troops would invade small agglomerations and kidnap the children for their sick and twisted experiments. All with the Sorceress's orders, the cause of the World War that overcame the land.

"That little girl, Ellone?" Lana restarted. "Her parents tried to stop the soldiers, you see… the townsfolk that have no military training nor skill were the only ones that were here to defend their homes from the attack…" She paused as to control her emotions. She might be new in town and the people might not accept her, but the two people that did meant more than everything to her. "Among many others, Ellone's parents were killed in that attack, little over two years ago…"

Kiara listened apprehensively. Ok, so the people of Winhill had have really bad experiences with every other outsider that came into their town and made a mess of things… still, she felt it didn't condone the detestable behaviour they took face Lanara, one that had been even helping them out keeping the town safe from monsters. Anyone that took a second to know her would come to realise she wasn't an opportunist and an abuser, the woman was incapable of any sneaky act like that… seemed the townsfolk wouldn't go to the trouble of getting to know her, it was easier to scorn her from the start.

Well, all but two people in town… well, one and a half…

"So you see, I can't really blame them for their hostility…" Lana continued. "I can only hope that in time, they stop considering me as an outsider but a part of their town…"

To that, Kiara raised an eyebrow as she focused on her friend. Was it possible she was…

"Are you planning to stay?" She asked in disbelieve.

She saw as an uncharacteristic seriousness invaded her expression making Kiara already anticipate what her answer would be.

"Cause I thought you wanted to see the world…" She added before Lana could say anything "Weren't you aiming to become a world-travelling journalist?" she asked as, for the years they had known each other – at least for the time they had hanged out together – she had filled their ears with talks about just that. Now she was giving up? That was unlike her.

"Y-Yeah, well…" Lana hesitated, but didn't deny it, confirming Kiara's thoughts. "Things change."

_You certainly have…_ Kiara couldn't stop but wonder. Lana had indeed changed ever since she met her again. Was it the near death experience at Centra Continent that gave her the urge to settle down? Or was it she grew tired of travelling around? Or was it…?

"Is it because of that little girl and… Ryu?" Kiara chanced out and Lana's reaction much more than her words gave her all the answer she required.

"Huh… WHA!!" Lana cried out in amazement as that line caught her completely by surprise. Her eyes looked away, searching for some sort of escape route out of the uncomfortable subject. Finding none, she improvised.

"H-Hey!" She cried out, aiming ahead. "What's that? A monster! Let's go get it!" She covered and ran off without a second's warning.

Kiara observed as the woman fled, shaking her head in both disbelieve and mild amusement. A few seconds later, she rushed to follow up after her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Inside the smaller and tighter metal cell, all and every little outside sound echoed through the steel walls, increasing exponentially in a never-ending torture. Even so, such noise failed to disturb the sleep of the only person inside the undersized chamber.

Schala laid in apparent peaceful sleep over a small and uncomfortable looking grey bed. Apart from an unnatural paleness in her skin – originated from the intense blood loss suffered the previous night – Schala presented no other recent visual injury from her last battles. The sorceress's healing abilities excelled as not even the tiniest of mark showed on her palled skin, apart from the older scar on her forehead.

She slept profoundly, deep inside the prison they had all been carried out as the sun began to rise on the horizon, unseen by any of them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Lana kept running aimlessly, slowing to a stop as she reached a hill by the edge of town. The wind blew strongly, waving her clothes and hair as she stilled on that spot, cooling her heated flesh with the cool breeze.

The woman strained to organize her thoughts, the same that had been in constant disarray almost ever since she regained conscience months ago to face the brunet's handsome face, taking care of her. She sighed heavily. She had never felt like that for anyone else before, not even Julius drew that kind of intense emotions from her.

And it was not only Ryu, it was little Elle as well. That small child was everything to her and if she would ever be required to surrender her life to save hers, it wouldn't be a hard choice.

"Lana, wait up!" Kiara called out as she ran to her side.

The raven haired woman hadn't even heard her friend's approach so lost was she in her thoughts. On the other hand, she was a stealth expert and not being heard came with the job description.

"Hey…" She hailed simply.

"Don't hey me…" Kiara retorded, seriously as she slowed down next to her. She looked at her friend intently, seeing if the woman had already calmed down before adding. "What's going on, Lana?" She got no answer, still she pushed the matter. "Do you… like Ryu?"

"…"

Lana still didn't say anything and as Kiara rounded her, she avoided her eyes refusing to look at her.

Kiara stepped back. Lana had always been emotional and unable to hide her feelings and all that, but Kiara had never seen her friend so out of it before.

"Lana…" Kiara started again. She decided to drop the matter… for the moment at least… "So… are we done here?" She asked, hoping that without her pressure she would pull herself together.

"Yeah…" Lana replied, still in a bit of a trance.

Kiara rounded up around her, standing before the other woman and clapped her hands in front of her face, making Lana finally snap out of it

"Huh?! Oh, right… we're done" Lana let out as she finally returned to her old self, shoving her turbulent thoughts temporarily to the back of her mind. "Right… time to report back to base!"

"By base you mean… the pub?" Kiara frowned. It was awkward and at the same time familiar to be hearing military terms from Lana again, though she found nothing on that town that would qualify as a base.

Lana stared at Kiara for a moment, her eyes half closed as she focused on her.

"Obviously…" Lana said as she rolled her eyes at the clearness of it. What other place could she possibly be referring to?

Lana motioned her to come as she headed back into town with her old cheery personality back in check, making Kiara frown slightly before following in after her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Sir!" The soldiers stood in attention as Seifer exited the car inside the galbadian prison's garage. The blond walked proudly between the rows of men who dared not breathe out of turn. It wasn't just for fear of the knight's reaction but more from the power his being there represented.

No one wanted to fall on the sorceress's bad graces.

"Welcome to D-District Prison, Sir Seifer." The commander of the base greeted as the younger man approached. The man was tall and wore a different, higher ranking uniform but it wasn't for his attire that one would say he was an important man. His posture instilled respect and loyalty from his men.

Next to him were a couple of soldiers and guards and another man with another different uniform. This one wore a simple brown leather vest and pants, with a white sweatshirt, but what was more distinct about him wasn't his clothes or his physique. It was his bloodthirsty eyes, lustful and mean that suggested a very disturbed and sadistic personality.

Ignoring this man and the commanders pleasantries, Seifer turned to the latter, his eyes showing the little consideration he had for the man in his position, but some nevertheless.

"The prisoners?" Seifer asked, straight to the subject.

"They are as you ordered." The commander replied, not showing any resentment for his lack of courtesy. He was used to it, he regretted to say, but he was in a higher position than him – even if he was just about half his age – and he knew better than say anything.

"The brunette woman was kept apart from the others and is ready to be brought up to the interrogation room." He added.

Seifer's smirk grew, his eyes flashing a bright glow packed with hidden intentions.

"Good…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ryu, Elle?" Lana called out once inside the pub. The lower floor was completely empty, something strange since by then Ryu was preparing lunch. She set the shopping bag over the counter as she peaked inside the kitchen, but not hearing any sound from inside, she didn't bother going in.

"Hey, Lana!" Kiara called out from near the door.

Lana turned, finding her friend looking up. As she approached her she heard it too, voices from upstairs. Nodding to herself, she started climbing up the stairs.

Going up step by step, the voices became clearer so that the women were able to make out a few words.

"Uncle Ryu… do yoo like Auntie Lana?" They heard Ellone's childish voice from the stairs and immediately halted.

"Woo hoo…" Lana's eyes widen as she led out lowly. She tried to go back downstairs, but Kiara grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

.

"What are you talking about, Ellone?" Ryu answered, caught by surprise by the child's question. "Where did you get that idea from?"

.

Lana struggled, as silently as possible, out of her friend's grasp as she insisted that they should hear it out. "Something inside me is telling me to listen." She whispered as lowly as she could as to not be heard by the two people talking just a few metres away from them.

.

"Ellone likes Auntie Lana and Ellone likes Uncle Ryu…" The little girl explained. "So, I want to know if Uncle Ryu likes Auntie Lana too."

.

Lana temporarily stopped her struggling, suddenly extremely attentive to the young man's answer.

.

"Are you serious, Ellone?" He said making the women listening in cringing slightly at his sudden harsh tone.

.

Lanara was suddenly filled with a morbid curiosity. For one, she wanted to hear what Ryu had to say about her, however she also feared it.

.

"She acts like a child, has no manners whatsoever, is utterly unable to hold on to a serious conversation, can't cook to save her life…" Ryu babbled out, pacing around the room, getting more upset by the word.

.

Lana cringed, each word hitting her like a punch in the stomach.

.

"Seriously, Ellone… a woman like that…" He added afterwards, his tone much softer.

Ellone kept looking at the man intently. Something about her stare made Ryu feel she could see right through him sometimes, almost like she could hear his deepest thoughts.

"But she's real nice and I really, really like her…" The little girl emphasized, stepping closer to the tall man.

Ryu intended to add something, but she cut him off, not giving him the chance.

"Uncle Ryu, Auntie Lana and Ellone should all be together forever!" Ellone stressed, staring with her bright chocolate eyes at his deep blue ones.

.

Listening in, Lana shook off the coldness felt just a second ago faced with the little girl's heartfelt words. She felt like climbing the remaining steps and hugging the child tightly but resisted it knowing that, if Ryu realised she was listening in it could become awkward between them. She didn't want that.

.

"Ellone…" Ryu started again, softly as he approached and knelt next to the little girl and, unknowing to them, Lana and Kiara both leaned further against the wall, straining to hear what they were saying.

"I know how you feel, I really do…" He hesitated for a moment…" I like Lanara as well, but…" He sighed, looking for the right words. "I think what she really wants to do is travel all over the world… I don't think she has it in her to live in a quiet country town like this one…"

Ellone looked up, suddenly very sad with tears in the corner of her eyes. Auntie Lana could go away? This was the first time that possibility ever occurred in the little girl's mind. She didn't want her to go…

Seeing her distress, Ryu placed his hand on her head, smiling softly at her.

"Lanara is a free spirit… we can't hold her down just because we want her to stay with us, or she won't be happy. Even if it makes us sad, we want her to be happy, right?"

Between unfallen tears, Ellone nodded her head.

.

Kiara gained a small smile. This Ryu character was indeed very interesting and she found herself liking him more and more. _He really is perfect for Lana…_ she thought as she turned to her friend to see her reaction to the young man's comments. Though she didn't quite expect what she found…

Lana was in a trance. She had sat on a step and was murmuring to her self repeatedly like she had lost her mind

"He likes me… He likes me… He really likes me…"

It seemed the raven haired woman hadn't heard a word after Ryu saying he liked her.

Kiara raised an eyebrow, suddenly more worried with her friend's mental health as she turned to focus back on the conversation taking place upstairs.

.

"She said she wanted to be a journalist, travel all around the world…" Ryu continued talking to Ellone. "As much as I want her to stay, we can't tie her down to a chair…" _As much as I'd like to… _He added in thought.

As if reading his mind or simply thinking the same, or for any other reason, the little girl giggled, drying her unfallen tears as Ryu smiled at her as well.

"It's just the way she is…"

.

Kiara sighed inaudibly. True, that was her all right. Of course that was before. She had changed in so many ways.

Kiara motioned to sit next to Lana. She was still worried about her since she just sat there, repeating that mantra with a seriously disturbed smile on her face. But when she went to sit down, the step beneath her suddenly creaked loudly and the sound seemed to be enhanced by the sudden quietness in the house. For the good part, it seemed to have awakened the raven haired fully as she jumped to her feet with her heart racing.

Having heard it as well, Ryu and Ellone turned to the stairs and were about to check it out when a weaving Lana climbed the last steps, followed by Kiara.

"Yea! Yoo're back!" Little Elle cheered as she ran up to Lana, who knelt down to greet the child.

Having had little time to think, Lana just ran up the last steps in the hope the two of them believed they had just arrived. Ellone didn't seem to have noticed anything and Lana raised her eyes to see Ryu's reaction. He was a bit surprised by the sudden return but otherwise didn't seem to suspect anything. Counting her blessings, Lana and Kiara refocused on the situation.

"I came running back!" Lana added as she breathed heavily. For a second there she felt like her heart was gonna jump outta her mouth.

"Glad yoo're back!" Ellone cheered once more as Ryu smiled and nodded in turn though he couldn't completely hide a certain sadness in his eyes. Their life, HIS life wouldn't be quite the same if Lanara ever left.

Shaking his thoughts away, he focused back on the ex-soldier.

"So, how was it out there?" He asked and immediately the woman stood, acting all professional.

"Well, on today's patrol and monster extermination run…" She nodded, resisting the salute her soldier instincts demanded of her. "Including Buchubuchus and Bunbuns that little Elle oh-so-hates..." She reported with a smile as her gaze caught sight of the person in question, who smiled widely in return.

Lana resisted laughing as she kept her face serene and continued.

"We've eliminated 19 monsters." She informed.

_These numbers are getting higher every day… _Both Lana and Ryu thought as just a couple of months ago it was like 3 a day, and it wasn't even noon!

"Alright! Great job!" He replied, making the woman smile at the praise. Tearing his gaze from the woman, Ryu looked to the side towards a modest hanged clock on the wall seeing that it was almost time for lunch.

"Is that the time… better get lunch ready." He said as he made for the stairs. "You two should get some rest, I'll call you when it's ready." He added as he passed by them.

"Yea! Let's all eat together!" Ellone cheered, then suddenly looked up at Kiara. "Yoo're joining us too, right Miss Kiara!?" She asked, somewhat catching the woman by surprise, both at being asked to join them as for being called Miss Kiara.

She simply nodded in reply making the girl's smile widen considerably and Kiara couldn't stop but wonder that this was probably how Lana was at that age.

"Then it's settled, did you get what I asked?" Ryu added once he reached and started descending to the ground floor.

Lana just nodded in reply as she approached the stairs with Kiara as well, ready to go down and get back to the house to rest for a bit.

"Do you need some help with lunch?" She suddenly asked to which Ryu almost tripped over the stairs, Kiara raised a worried eyebrow and Elle raised her head from the colouring books which kept her occupied till it was time to eat.

The three of them looked at Lana in silence and alarm for a few seconds, much to the woman's clueless attitude, till Ryu climbed a couple of steps so that they were at the same level, then he spoke calmly as he stared intensely with his blue eyes.

"Lanara… What did I tell you the last time you stepped a foot in my kitchen?" He asked in all seriousness.

"Hummm…" Lana thought for a second, recalling that _incident _a couple of months back when she tried to cook some rice…

"Ahmm… Never again?" She provided, making Kiara both sigh in relief and chuckle. She would never forget the first and last time she and Wada appointed her cook for the day… if faced with the possibility, they'd rather starve. The woman couldn't do toasts!

"That's right." Ryu continued as if he was talking to a child… which he kinda was. "I'll be fine, just go get some sleep." He added as he disappeared downstairs.

Lana sighed heavily. Ok, so she couldn't cook very well as in, anything minimally edible, and the last time she tried… well, let's just say there was a smudge in the ceiling only a paint job could fix.

Shrugging, Lana waved a "See ya later" at Elle as she descended as well, followed by Kiara. Once downstairs, she yelled a new "See ya later" at Ryu who had already taken the groceries inside the kitchen. The characteristic sound of plates, pots and knives cutting on boards almost muffled his reply as the women exited the pub and walked the distance between thresholds.

Lana opened the door and motioned Kiara in, herself entering behind her.

"This is where you're staying?" Kiara asked. The house was rather modest, though almost completely covered in childish paintings and frames.

"Yeah. This is Ellone's parents' house. Ryu lets me stay here." She informed as she climbed the stairs in the other side of the small entrance room. "There are a couple of beds upstairs."

As they advanced towards the bedroom, Kiara's curiosity took the best of her.

"So… Does Ryu and Ellone sleep here too?" She asked.

"Sometimes, though they have their rooms in the pub…" Lana answered simply, missing the innuendo in her friend's query.

Kiara suppressed a chuckle at the oblivious woman. She was so innocent for a woman her age.

They finally reached the simple two bed bedroom. Lana removed her jacket, throwing it over the chair next to her bed and let herself fall over the clumsily made bed as Kiara remained standing for a moment.

Lana just laid there, eyes opened and staring at the ceiling what, once again, drew Kiara's attention.

"You know, I've been thinking…" Lana started before her friend had the chance to ask what was wrong.

Of course those words never helped. Lana thinking always seemed to get them all into trouble…

Lanara ignored her scared face as she continued.

"If I'd wake up everyday for the rest of my life staring up at this ceiling… I'd be a happy woman…"

Now that had been unexpected. Kiara never expected her friend to say something so simple and, at the same time, with so much meaning. She straightened up, looking down at her lying form as Lana kept staring up at the ceiling, never tearing her gaze.

"At this moment, the thing I fear the most is waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling…" She continued. "Be somewhere else but here, surrounded by different people…"

Kiara stared at her intently, a light frown on her face as Lana's expression remained emotionless, only her eyes showing that fear she mentioned.

"Honestly, Kiara…" She paused as she finally shifted her gaze from the ceiling to her friend's face. "I can't imagine living anywhere else…"

Kiara could only stare at such a confession, not able to say anything other than these four words…

"Lana, you've changed…"

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_AN.: YAY!! Finally it is done… finished… over… I thought I would never get this done…_

_Ok, looking for people to sign my plan to blow up my school, volunteers anyone? It wouldn't be that hard… one of the buildings is crossed by a hydrogen tubing system… a little spark and BOOM!! Really, School has been MURDER on my free time… I even had to use ACTUAL class time (as in, writing while I was supposed to be paying attention… it was also the only reason why I didn't fall asleep in that class…) to advance a bit…_

_Sorry for the delay, but as a bonus, this chapter turned out quite longer than I expected it to be… Amazing how it ran away from me again… this story is Alive, I tell you… ;P_

_Anyway, hope you liked it and can forgive me for the LONG delay… I'll try (__**no promises, though**__) to not take so long…_

_Well, now that's done… Next, on Twisted Fantasy: D-District's BIG escape… still don't know if I'll be able to fit everything in one chapter… if by any chance I am, expect a truly Humongous chapter, though I'm quite sure there won't be many complains ;P_

_Love ya all! As I said to one of my loyal readers/reviewers the other day, Reviewing is not mandatory… but Reading is, so I hope you liked it XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	25. Chapter 25: Tortures and Escapes

**Disclaimer – **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… What was that? You wanna give it to me?!? No? Owww… C'mon, don't play me like that... :-/_

**Chapter 2****5 – Tortures and Escapes **

Her eyes opened slowly, focusing on the unfamiliar ceiling on top of her head. _Where am I?_ She wondered as, even though she had just woken up after Hyne knew how much time in the unnatural deep slumber of the dream world, she still felt a profound tiredness…

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Zanya suddenly awoke, sitting up too abruptly as her fast movements made her head ache, reminiscent of the intensity of the attacks that had been used to bring her down the previous night. Looking around to clear her mind, she couldn't help but feel a certain familiarity in the foreign room she found herself in.

"Welcome back." A male voice somewhere around her sounded making the blonde woman slowly turn around to face her three friends that sat leaning against the wall.

Zanya nodded slowly as to not aggravate her still ever so present headache as she adjusted her sitting position to face them in a less straining pose.

"Is everyone alright…?" She asked as her eyes once again scanned the room, frowning afterwards as she saw no one else in the room but the three young men.

"Where're Schala and that other one?" She asked as she focused on their faces, concern and uncertainty plastered all over them.

"When we came to, there were only the four of us…" Quentin provided. "We don't know what happened to them…" He added, sparing a side glance at Rian as he just locked his chocolate eyes onto the floor.

Rian had told them what he last saw and didn't see. Schala being pierced in the chest by the Sorceress's ice shard and Inara disappearing into thin air. None were good omens.

"…" Zanya stayed silent in thought. Though Schala's fate held the most concern, she couldn't help but wonder about the annoying cowgirl as well.

"We were brought here a while back and you've been out the whole time…" Sorphan started, trying to lighten the mood from the foreboding environment. "Was it Lana again?"

His question succeeded in drawing all of them from their reveries as they focused on Zanya for her response.

"Well… kinda…" At their inquisitive stares, the martial artist elaborated. "I only saw Wada and she wasn't near her friends…"

"Ohh, what happened?" Sorphan insisted, curious to the galbadian women's endeavours.

"Well, from what I could make out…" Zanya continued. "After their escape from Centra… you remember that?" The three men nodded affirmatively. "Well, seems they got separated somehow… Wada was discharged and is all alone… working in some sort of prison-like place, unknowing of her friends' fate…"

"Major bummer…" Sorphan commented as the other two were suddenly thoughtful.

"Yeah… The woman is bored outta her mind!" She couldn't help a little smile. "All she wants is to be back at Lana's and Kiara's side…"

"I wonder what is this we're experiencing…" Quentin let out, not exactly meant as a question to any of them, just a random thought passing not only by his mind but the others' as well.

Except for Rian, whose thoughts were focused on something else the blonde woman had mentioned.

"You said that Wada was working in some sort of prison, right?" He suddenly inquired, drawing the others' attention and a raised eyebrow from the martial artist.

"Yeah, so…?" Zanya wasn't following.

"And she was from Galbadia…?" He continued, gaining a nod as a response. "Well… is it possible she was… here?" He asked, gaining a strange look from both Zanya and Sorphan as Quentin seemed to understand where he was going with that.

Zanya suppressed a huff._ Of all the stupid questi…_ she thought as it suddenly dawned on her. _Hey? Whoa?!? Wait a sec…_

"I know this place!" She suddenly cried loudly, standing up in a jump and in all her enthusiasm, forgetting all about her previous headache. "This is it! Wada works here! She's a janitor of some sort." Zanya looked around the room once more just to make sure. "Yup, this is the place! There are lots of rooms just like this one! It's got to be here!" she continued eagerly.

"There're a few prisons in the Galbadian territory…" Rian started, staring off to nowhere in particular. "The highest security one is for political activists and serious offenders… spies…" He continued half-heartedly. "We were probably brought to that one, and it's where Wada works, it seems…"

"Well, it's no surprise we were brought to jail." Quentin started again, his eyes scanning the room. "We did attack the sorceress…"

"And we went up against the president…" Rian added. "We'll all be sentenced to death for sure…" _For those who aren't already…_ He couldn't stop but think, considering Schala's most probable fate, though he refused to accept it fully…

"The president is of no consequence for a long time now…" Quentin commented, his eyes narrowing. "He was just another puppet, a means to an end… When his usefulness ended he became expendable…"

"The Sorceress is running the show now…" Rian completed his train of thought. "But, what does that imply for us?" He wondered.

Quentin just shook his head. Their future looked more and more uncertain by the minute.

"Things don't look so good…" Sorphan let out, followed by a sigh. Stuck in a cage with no news of the outside...

"…" Zanya leaned back, thoughts of their situation haunting her mind.

_What's going to happen to us…?_

_And Schala…? What happened to her… where is she…? _

_And where the hell is that Inara chick, anyways…?_

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Bright cobalt blue eyes closed quickly as the sudden sun glare almost blinded them. Inara straightened in her sitting position, her neck cracking from the strain of her sleeping pose, a deep slumber that had suddenly overtaken her the night before, after she had left Deling city.

It had been abnormal, to say the least. And it hadn't just been the sudden sleepiness but also that wicked dream she had experienced. Inara had had strange dreams before, mostly after a _long_ night, but never something like that.

Opening her eyes carefully against the annoyingly bright morning sun, Inara looked out the window to access her surroundings. The thick and extensive Galbadian desert completely surrounded her, but she could still barely make out a structure far ahead along the road she was able to steer off before falling heavily asleep. Inara was already quite near her destination, the facility where she was supposed to go retrieve one of the perpetrators to the attack on the sorceress. The only one that along with her, would be granted freedom…

Her eyes shifted from the outside to the empty seat next to her, where only an envelope rested. She frowned as her mind wandered to the events of her previous night…

«Flashback»

"Let go of me!" Inara screamed as she struggled with the men's strong grasp.

The second the soldiers stormed the float, she was pulled back by a couple of them that placed something over her eyes and all but dragged her away, kicking and screaming, were it not for the hand covering her mouth. Now she had freed herself at least from that hand, but she was still being carried somewhere.

A few more minutes of struggling and she was suddenly thrown off, impacting with the floor with a grunt but, contrary to what she was expecting, the floor was rather soft. Her hands went to the ground beneath her and she felt soft carpet fibres, making her frown beneath the mask, hood or whatever they had used to blindfold her.

As she gathered her wit to remove the cloth over her eyes, Inara also noticed how silent it was wherever she was. The loud sounds of the parade and soldiers and battle were nothing more than muffled whispers. It seemed she was in some sort of house or room at some distance from the commotion, but still close enough that the remnants of it were still barely audible.

She finally removed her blindfold, half-expecting what she was going to find. Her eyes settled on the proud, dark figure in front of her who looked down on her with a deep frown on her face and a certain degree of irritation reflected in her dark blue eyes.

"You failed." Kaede Caraway stated more than asked as the red headed sharpshooter slowly stood up, dusting off her clothes and looking around her, temporarily avoiding the other woman's eyes.

Inara searched the room. The guards that had brought her in, probably under the congresswoman's influence, were just passing past her and only the two of them and her assistant, Nishida, were left in the room. She also took notice of her shotgun resting over the woman's desk, making her wonder if she would have to fight for its possession.

"What happened out there, why did you fail?" The congressman demanded to know, drawing Inara's attention back to her as her stern eyes demanded an answer.

"For one, I didn't fail. My aim was perfect!" Inara clarified, what neither impressed nor intimidated the tough politician. "The sorceress had a personal shield that stopped the bullet… maybe the ammunition was faulty…" She added, causing the woman to frown as Inara paced around the room, apparently not intimidated by her strong stance and power.

"And the frontal attack?" Kaede continued her query.

"The guards mobilized more quickly than we anticipated…" Inara explained to all truth, choosing her words carefully as to not aggravate the woman's anger. She might enjoy confrontations, but she wasn't stupid. "When we got to the float, the sorceress was prepared for us…" Her cobalt eyes locked on the congresswoman. "She is much stronger than you and the Headmistress predicted…"

Kaede sighed. She had considered the possibility of failure though she had truly hoped they would succeed. Unfortunately, it seemed not even the powerful SeeDs were a match for the dreadful witch.

Resigned with the situation, she turned to Nishida that nodded and stepped forward.

"According to our Intel…" The tall man started, certainly relaying the information received from the guards. "... The remaining SeeDs and Master Rian have been captured by the soldiers and taken to the D-District prison facility located in the Galbadian desert, for interrogation." He stated, quite serious though with an apprehensive look.

"You are to head for the facility as soon as possible and retrieve…"

"You want me to bust them out? Just me? Are you serious?!?" Inara let out in outrage. She was just one person, what could she possibly do…?

"You are not going to _bust_ anyone out of anywhere!" Congresswoman Caraway's voice felt itself hear once more as she turned from the window she had just been peering through to look back at the stunned sharpshooter.

"You are going to the prison, with that letter…" She added, motioning to an envelope on her desk, near the shotgun. "And bring back my son for me!" She concluded, her stern and commanding eyes leaving no room for doubt.

Inara hesitated as she spared a glance at the destined letter.

"What about the others?" She asked, knowing she wouldn't like the answer.

The congresswoman turned back to the window, watching the still agitated town.

"They are SeeDs, they have been trained to withstand torture, my son has not!" She said with disdain, making Inara strain to keep from replying. "Besides…" She added with inappropriate amusement. "They are elite mercenaries trained within Garden… if they can't even break out of that prison, they have been given too much credit…"

Inara's frown and barely contained anger deepened. The congresswoman knew better than most that no one had ever broken out of the high-security prison. It was obvious to her that she only wanted to protect her own ass, probably fearing that her son could give in her involvement in the assassination attempt under torture… something the SeeDs would never do since it was as she had said. They had been trained to withstand torture.

Rian had not.

As much as she wanted to curse the older woman to Hell, to disregard her orders and not get involved in anything else, her upbringing made her rethink that. She wanted to save her friends, but alone she couldn't do anything… if there was a chance of saving just one of them, even one she didn't know for that long, she would take it.

"Fine." Inara finally replied, noting the congresswoman releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Please take these." Nishida's voice almost made the red headed jump in surprise. Smiling apologetically, the man placed in her hands the envelope and a set of keys. "There's a truck prepared for you at the edge of the city. I suggest you wait for the city to calm down before heading out."

Inara nodded in comprehension. The last thing she wanted now was to be arrested for suspicious behaviour. Sparing a last irritated look at the politician's back, since she still faced the window, Inara turned around and left the house, garden and compound, closing her long coat and heading slowly and as inconspicuous as possible.

«End of Flashback»

Inara cursed under her breath. She didn't like this mission but now she had little choice. Not to mention than the abnormal sleep and wicked dream had delayed her considerably.

She had no more time to lose.

Turning the key in the ignition, the red headed woman placed the gear in drive and sped out of the improvised sidewalk, sending gravel flying behind the truck and driving down the road she had been following at great speed.

As she got closer, the sun reflected off the large triple drill like structure, now standing tall above the Earth.

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Blue-grey eyes stared up at the ceiling for a moment in complete abstraction before awareness crawled back inside her.

Images and sounds from the previous night flashed inside her mind in an instant as she remembered what had happened. In her shock, Schala sat up abruptly and immediately collapsed back onto the weak and uncomfortable bed as strength abandoned her.

Schala breathed deeply, calming herself as her memories flowed slowly into her conscience, providing her with understanding on her situation. She remembered now… the attempt on the sorceress, the battle and the painful outcome. Her hands moved, as quickly as she could make them, over her chest, where the ice spear had impaled her torso.

_My wound…_Schala wondered as her hands found no remnants of the deadly injury. Frowning, she strained to sit up enough so that she could glimpse at where she had felt the icicle hit.

_No wound…__? _She wondered in surprise as no trace whatsoever of it ever being there was present in her abnormally pale skin. Schala kept staring as the lack of damage contradicted her weakness. But her paleness explained it somehow…

_I lost a lot of blood... I still haven't recovered fully from the loss…_ She reasoned, but her injury – or lack there of – still disturbed her.

Only the Sorceress could have healed such a deadly wound leaving no trace, after all even a less serious cut on her forehead had left such a scar…

But why…? Why would she save her…?

Her thoughts reeled back to her last conscious moments when bright sea-green eyes locked on her slowly dying ones. Her eyes narrowed. Seifer had just stood there, watching as her life slowly left her with the Sorceress next to him, leering down at her. Though she remembered noticing the old intensity in his eyes, he had still just stood there and did nothing but watch her die.

Anger, not only for his abandonment but also for the whole situation invaded her as she strained to stand up, having to support herself on the walls of her rather small cell.

"Damn you, Seifer!" She cursed out loud and in that instant, the cage moved.

It trembled considerably as the sound of gears and metal moving over metal let itself be heard within her tight confinement. Schala leaned completely against the wall for balance and just as it seemed to stop, it moved again, this time sliding off its previous spot as the mechanical arm pulled it over to the centre of the structure, a deep, empty round pit that reached from the higher levels to its bottom.

The arm dragged the cage onto a type of elevator that once the cell was secure, began to rise.

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"What, what… was that loud noise?" Sorphan asked as their thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the thunderous sound of the moving cage above them.

So loud had been the upstairs' commotion, they hadn't even noticed as a group of about four guards stepped inside their cell, two of them standing by the threshold with their weapons at the ready as the other two stepped forward towards the teens.

"That was the sound of your friend being lead to the torture room." One of the men, a tall one with unattractive features and messy, short brown hair, said once he approached.

_Our friend…?_ They all inquired to themselves, unsure as to get their hopes too high. Was it Inara or Schala? And whoever it was, how and where was the other one? However the word that mostly caught Rian's attention was "torture". Either one that could be on her way to be tortured, couldn't be good.

"Yeah, tortured…" The other man added, swinging a baton on his hands. "It's what's expecting you as well…"

"That's right…" The first man spoke again as the four teens straightened up. "And we're here to soften you up a bit…" He added as he approached them even more, drawing a baton himself as he stepped up menacingly.

Zanya bit her lower lip as the guys tensed. She could easily take care of the guards, no problem there, however… she might not reach the other two before they'd start shooting. Not without her GFs that she hadn't been able to contact since she had awoken, problem shared by her companions.

It seemed they would have to endure the abuse for a while…

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Schala had just adapted to the cell's constant trembling when it suddenly stopped raising, remaining hanging for a few seconds before it moved again, this time sideways. The young woman was already having great difficulties remaining standing when the cage stopped again and dropped a couple centimetres off the ground.

She was completely thrown off her footing, stepping back in a vain attempt to regain her balance but failing and falling backwards towards the door to the cell. Said door opened suddenly, leaving nothing but empty space behind her.

That space was quickly filled by someone as, instead of falling onto the hard, cold floor as she expected, Schala collapsed over "something" soft and warm. Strong arms grasped around her waist, preventing her from falling onto the floor and causing her to lean her body further against her benefactor.

"Quite the welcome!" His teasing voice came from behind her, making her tense slightly.

Schala angled her head back in order to see his face, her weak body making her doubt her recognition of the male voice.

"Seifer…?!" She wondered lowly and weakly as her eyes caught his and the acknowledgment was completed.

Seifer cringed ever so slightly at the sound and sight of her debilitated form. She had sounded so weak, so out of character that hadn't Seifer been currently looking at her deep blue-grey eyes, he would've doubted it was the same person.

Something inside him clenched tightly at that sound…

But his momentarily lapse went unnoticed by the guards that watched them from outside the cell as he – apparently – recovered from it quickly and stepped further inside the cage, pushing her in front of him.

"Leonhart, you look pitiful." He added as he turned her around, her condition making it impossible for her to resist him.

Their eyes locked, her weak blue barely opened as his bright sea-green seemed half-amused.

Pushing her further, Seifer pinned Schala against the wall. One of the hands that held her rose to take a hold of her head as he leaned closer.

"I'm going to enjoy this…" He whispered in her ear, leaning closer.

Schala didn't even have time to register or react to his words as he suddenly grabbed her head and smacked it against the wall, knocking her out.

Seifer still held her unconscious body up for a second, looking intensely at her before letting her collapse over the small bed. Her inactive body bounced on the hard mattress as he turned towards the exit of her cell.

"Take her." He ordered the guards that immediately motioned a small group of short, red and orange, furry creatures that rushed inside.

The Moombas surrounded the brunette, lifting her up and carrying her out of the metal cage, following in after the soldiers and the Knight.

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Inara was now very close to the prison facility so that she could make out its entire structure. The large, triple drill system was already half buried into the ground and continued its descent, forcing the red headed sharpshooter to stop the car she was driving.

A thick cloud of sand rose and spread as the drills buried deep within the Earth, while Inara waited for the chance to enter the construction, waiting for it to settle down completely.

As she observed the elaborate procedure, her mind wondered on what she was about to do…

Going in, getting Rian and coming out, leaving the rest of them to their fate. That idea was more than uncomfortable to her. They all meant so much to her, her long lost friends that against all odds found their way back to her only so she could now lose them all over again. That just wasn't right!

_But what can I do…?_ She asked herself for the thousand time, as she leaned back in her seat. _I'm just one person, I can't possible break them all outta there on my own… I just can't!_ She sighed out in defeat.

Even her GFs remained silent during all her inner turmoil. The woman wasn't used to not being alone, and their interference would only confuse her more.

She sighed heavily again, conformed but unhappy with the result of her inner discussion as the dust cloud cleared and the base finally settled down completely, allowing her access to the inside. Starting her engine once again, Inara advanced with caution but speed towards the now open door that would lead her within the large base.

She wanted to get that darn mission over as quickly as possible.

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Schala opened her eyes slowly, cringing at both the weakness and headache she felt, but also at the strain of the odd position she found herself in. Opening her eyes fully, the brunette strained to be able to see her surroundings. She was no longer in the cramped cell, she was now in a larger room that possessed a few consoles and several odd apparatus which felt strangely familiar.

Trying to move, the SeeD suddenly realised the reason behind her increased discomfort. She was chained to the metal wall behind her by her hands, stretched to the sides, and her ankles bound together in a way she could barely touch the ground with the tips of her boots. She remained disarmed, as she was, and someone had removed her jacket, it being discarded onto the floor.

Schala struggled in vain to get free but, not only was she unsuccessful – the bounds were resistant and tight and she was still not completely recovered, not to mention she could not access the strength, power or conscience of her GFs – but her attempts attracted the attention of the room's other occupants.

Seifer turned away from the group of guards, among them one in different uniform, and approached her position with that ever annoying smirk on his face. His eyes, not for the first time, coursed the length of her body as if examining it. His smirk grew as her characteristic frown deepened. Some things never changed.

"I'm sure you know what happens now." He said as he stepped close to her, closer than what she felt comfortable with.

But then again, nothing about her current situation was very comfortable anyways...

"... What do you want?" She inquired with her eyes narrowed in warning of his advances. She disliked him being that close.

As if knowing her discomfort, which he did, he stepped closer even. Seifer raised his hands and rested them on each side of her form as he leaned forward.

"... You..." He whispered in her ear, making a chill run up her spine as her eyes widened slightly.

She could almost feel him smirking in the second before he stepped away, showing her his – indeed – smirking face.

"I want some information from you..." He elaborated, his smirk never leaving his face. "I want to know..."

Seifer's pause made Schala look at him intently in anticipation.

"... Why did SeeD attack the Sorceress?" He asked, causing the girl to frown.

_Why?_ She thought about it. _It was just a mission... a joint mission from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens... _

"Well?" Seifer insisted, seeing her pensive state and consequently, drawing her out of it. "Why did you attack Sorceress Edea?"

Schala still didn't answer, focusing back on the blond's face. _We're mercenaries... there's only one reason why we'd try to kill anyone..._

"There must be more to it..." Seifer started again as if he had read her mind, never leaving his now hateful eyes from the brunette's. "There's a reason why you would go to such extremes to kill the Sorceress... Tell me!"

Schala still didn't understand. The Sorceress was a threat and they were ordered to assassinate her. There wasn't that much to it.

"Why does Garden want the Sorceress dead? Why send SeeD to spy and kill her... what is your endgame?" He stressed, his tone raising as his anger grew.

_Endgame? We don't have an endgame... The sorceress is a threat... _She reasoned, not understanding the course of the questioning.

"There was a mission briefing, I'm sure..." Seifer continued, his anger somewhat subsided. "In it they must have told you more... the why of the assassination... the reason behind it and the use of SeeDs for it..." He paused for a moment, a strange glow in his eyes as he focused on her once more. "The true purpose of SeeD."

_True purpose? What the f...? We're mercenaries, Elite mercenaries and combat experts... true purpose...?!?_

"You're a SeeD..." She started but his laugh cut her short.

"I'm a Knight!" He yelled out, stepping closer to her in a jump so that his face was mere centimetres away from hers.

Schala resisted flinching from his bold move, showing no remnants of fear as they kept their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.

"I was hoping you'd see it, Leonhart..." His tone changed in an instant, returning to the mocking manner she had known of him all her life. "So... how'd I look in my moment of triumph?"

Her narrowed eyes gave him the notion she wasn't reaching his point, so he leaned closer to whisper in her ear as she, instinctively, tried to move away, impossible due to her restraining.

"Being a Sorceress' Knight." He clarified, with a smirk she knew was there even as she couldn't see it. "My childhood dream, finally fulfilled..." Seifer continued, his voice failing him a bit on the end.

His smirk vanished and a frown adorned his features for a moment as something felt a bit off and Schala felt it too, somehow.

_His dream... His... romantic dream was to become a Sorceress' Knight...?_ Schala wondered, thinking back on that event during their SeeD Exam at the entrance of the Dollet's Communication Tower. Considering she had no way of knowing what his dream was – after all he failed to tell her – something inside her didn't think that was it.

Seifer's momentary confusion lifted as he shook his head slightly and stepped back to a position where he could see her face again. The movement snapped Schala from her musings as she refocused her narrowed eyes on his, again, smirking ones.

"Yes, a Knight!" He said as if reassuring it to himself, reforming his resolve. "And as my Sorceress' Knight I must do her biding and she wants to know..." He paused as he leaned dangerously close to her face, making the young woman lean against the wall till the back of her head could go no further. "She wishes to know why does Garden plot against her... So tell me... What is SeeD's endgame?"

"There's no such thing." She finally answered him. To all truth for all she knew, there wasn't... but even...

"And if there were... would you tell me...?" Seifer questioned as if, once again he had read her mind. His smirk reformed as he already knew her answer.

"Not a chance!" She firmly replied, to which he laughed again.

"Didn't think you would... not as easily, at least." He stated, looking to the side towards the man in different uniform that had approached one of the consoles to Schala's right.

The brunette frowned as she hadn't notice his movements and seriously disliked the sadistic expression and vibe she got from that man.

"You were always a tough-nut-to-crack... stubborn to a fault..." Seifer continued, refocusing her attention on him. _Wonderful quality, I must add..._ He thought as he stared at her.

"Let's see if this can break ya..." He thought out loud as he signalled the other man.

With a truly sadistic smile, the man moved some valves and levers. His disturbing, dark eyes turned towards Schala, looking at her with an intense and upsetting feeling of lust and cruelty. Then he pressed a button which was blinking on the panel in front of him.

Not even a second later, Schala felt a slight trembling in her fingers and then a massive electrical current coursed through her.

"ARRRRGHHHH!!!..." She cried out as her body was thrown into frenetic and uncontrollable spasms. It felt like she had been hit by a powerful thundaga, and she lacked the elemental protection of her GFs.

The shocking pulse lasted mere seconds that felt like hours of harsh torture. Schala felt even more tired than she had been before as it had taken all her strength just to keep her consciousness.

Seifer watched as she breathed harshly and deeply, winded by the initial shock. But more would follow...

"Well... are you going to talk now?" He asked as he looked at her attentively.

Schala recovered, somewhat, and raised her head slowly. Her stormy blue-grey eyes set on sea-green ones with a defiant and deadly glare. The harshest and most filled with emotion than Seifer had ever seen, which caused in him a mix of fear, excitement and lust. Also, with that look her answer was more than evident.

"Didn't think so..." He commented as he signalled the man again and again, high voltage coursed through her body, making her scream again despite her attempts not to.

The strain to her body, the pain was just too much and when it stopped she was gasping for air. Schala tried to focus on something else but the interrogation and the hurting that enveloped her entire form, just like she had been taught in Garden, but under such strain she found it hard to.

A few moments passed as Seifer allowed her to recover some. He didn't want it to end too quickly.

"Even if you don't talk, the others will..." He said in order to draw a reaction from her.

Well, it worked. Schala raised her head immediately, her eyes slightly widened as she stared at Seifer's annoyingly smirking face.

_Th... They're..._

"... They're... all here...?" She finished out loud, her voice failing as the pain and soreness would not go unnoticed.

Seifer's smirk seemed to grow to unreal proportions as he paced a bit to the side, always keeping the brunette in the corner of his eyes, watching her as she followed his movements.

"Oh, you bet." His mind wandered through the faces of the other prisoners. "The instructor... I'm gonna have fun with that one..." His sadistic thoughts were now entertaining the idea of bringing the annoying instructor to his knees... starting by cutting his ridiculous long hair...

"That tall courier-boy... Oh, yeah! Scaredy-cat, HAH! She wouldn't last 3 seconds!" He indulged once more with mental images of the martial artist squirming in pain.

"And that pretty-boy..." He paused as, with the young man's face flashing in his mind, another image formed...

The ball, Schala leaning against a column... a guy approaching her... taking her to the dance floor... them dancing together...

"Ohh..." His smirk changed there, making Schala shiver in anticipation. She really didn't like that look on his face, so much it kinda scared her.

Then he turned to face her, and that smile, a truly evil smile bothered her tremendously. He stepped closer, never taking his eyes, full on lust and anger, from her.

"He's that pretty boy from the dance, ain't he?" He asked and Schala was so caught by surprise that her widened eyes gave him all the answer he needed.

Seifer's smile grew even more disturbing as he inched closer to her face.

"Oh, yeah! I'm really going to enjoy this..." He said to her lowly, basking in her widened and surprised eyes before suddenly turning around and facing the guards.

"You there!" He called out, making the men stand in attention. "Go down to the prisoners and bring me the Pretty-boy!" He ordered, making the men salute before hesitating.

"What?" He demanded.

"Humm... which one...?" One of them asked, confused as to how distinguish from the three men in the jail cell he referred to.

Seifer sent the man an angry glare at the question, though such query did make some sense. His fury passed as he focused back on the brunette, with his smirk returning when faced with her – still – widened eyes.

"It's the one with the jet-black hair..." He said and immediately two of the guards saluted and exited the room to perform his orders.

Meanwhile, Knight and SeeD kept their staring contest.

"Seifer..." Schala let out, in both warning and request. Knowing they were alive and, relatively well was enough for her. She didn't want him to torture any of the others, especially Rian that wasn't a SeeD and, not only had he not the training to resist or withstand torture, but couldn't possibly know anything more about SeeD than she did.

"Because I like you so much, I though you should be first..." He said just for her as he was now, and again, extremely close to her, resting his hands on the wall next to her.

"But I'm _really_ going to enjoy this..." He continued with a truly masochist tone and expression, making the woman wonder if the _true purpose_ of SeeD was the only reason why he'd want to question, and torture Rian.

"The fun's just getting started... Leonhart..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"... Cure!" Sorphan cast within the prison cell in an attempt to heal the injuries caused by the guards mere minutes before.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Zanya wailed as for the fifth time already, the spell failed causing her body to sting all over instead of healing the minor injury.

"Sorry..." Sorphan apologized, sitting back in defeat.

"It's no use." Quentin concluded as his own attempts had failed. "There must be some kind of anti-magic field surrounding us." _To prevent escapes, no doubt... _He finished in thought. Getting out of there was going to be even more complicated than he had originally thought.

"Major bummer..." Sorphan let out, staring to a particularly ugly bruise on his arm. The guards were so mean, beating them up with their batons when they knew they couldn't fight back. Sorphan didn't know how long they would withstand that abuse before knocking them all out cold.

His bright emerald eyes focused on Zanya, who was half lying on the floor, supported by her elbows. She had been the one to receive the most punishment, especially due to her inability to suppress her instinct to resist the mistreatment, revealing several cuts and bruises all over, and a particular ugly one on her right cheek.

Rian remained sitting against the wall, his thoughts abstract of his surroundings as they tried to focus on other things. He had no thoughts of escapes, however. He knew the reputation of that prison and not even the SeeDs could break out on their own. His musings were now on everything that had happened in the past few days, mostly on the trouble his rash actions had placed them all in. But not knowing the fate of the absent companions were the thoughts that most haunted him. That Schala could have died because of him was an unbearable idea.

All the teens' musings ceased when there was a hard knock on the door.

"Meal time!" The guard outside cried out as he opened the door and a reddish furry creature entered the cell.

The teens stared as the short Moomba walked clumsily on two legs, carrying a tray with a few bowls of – probably inedible – soup and pieces of hard bread for them to eat. Not even Zanya was looking particularly forward to such a meal, but either fortunately or unfortunately, she never had a chance to taste the food as the creature tripped over its own feet and tumbled, spreading the tray's contents all over the jail's floor.

Not even Zanya mourned the loss of the _food_.

"What was that noise!?" The guard inquired, entering the room as the Moomba wailed slightly. "You again!?" He cried out in disgust as the creature flinched at the man.

"Clumsy beast!" He insulted, kicking the Moomba so it fell again to the floor. He still kicked the poor creature a couple of times, under the disgusted eyes of the teens, before Zanya stood up with a jump and approached the man.

"Yo... Who the fuck do you think you are?" She said more than asked, her tone not the explosive characteristic of hers but low and threatening. And seriously scary.

"Yeah! Stop that!" Sorphan added in, him also just seconds away from saying something to stop the abuse.

The other two young men also stepped up, making the man flinch and suddenly realise he hadn't brought back up that time. As panic seeped over him, a new sound from outside the door called everyone's attention.

"Hey, Miles man, where are ya?" Someone called out and the guard immediately took his cue to rush towards the door.

The teens stared in silence at the missed chance to smack the mean guy around, but a laugh from behind them broke their line of thought. Quentin, Rian and Zanya turned around and saw Sorphan laughing his ass off.

The brunet raised his eyes slowly, tears in the corner of his eyes, facing the others' curious and confused expressions.

"Miles…" He started between laughs. "… His name's Miles… Hahahahah" He added, resuming his uncontrollable laughter as the others could only stare.

Their attentions were drawn to the entrance again as three guards, the mean guy Miles among them, returned to the inside of the cell, weapons up and ready to handle any resistance. Looking at the guards face, a new wave of hilarity almost overcame Sorphan as he struggled to fight it.

"Ok, back off you scoundrels!" One of the other guards ordered and at gunpoint, they couldn't do nothing else but obey.

The two new guards looked over each of the teens, resting their eyes on Rian in the end.

_Jet black hair… that's the one!_ They both thought as one of them stepped closer.

"You there, come with us!" He ordered, signalling Rian who widened his eyes in response.

The others were quick to react, standing in front of the raven haired young man. But the guards weren't impressed as they raised their weapons threateningly.

"Do not resist or you'll be shot!" The one that stayed behind ordered, Miles batting his baton on his free hand. "You with the black hair, step up and come with us without a fight." He paused for a moment. "Or we'll kill your friends and you'll come with us anyway!" He added calmly, solely making the teens tense further and unwavering their resolve.

As no one moved in the following seconds, they cocked their weapons halting the teens' intentions but still, they wouldn't give Rian up easily.

"I'll go with you." Rian said without hesitation, making the others turn rapidly towards him in disbelief.

"Rian… What are you doing?!?" Quentin asked lowly and would have continued had he not interrupted.

"I won't get anyone else hurt because of me…" He silently replied, walking between his newly found friends and towards the guards.

"Good…" One of them said, before both raised their weapons as Zanya stepped up.

"Waddya doing to him, you bastards!?" She couldn't stop but ask.

Her only answer was a gun against her chest. The man's trigger finger twitched as it seemed ready to pull it, but Rian interjected.

"Stop it!" He strained. "I said I'll go!" He insisted so that the matter would end there.

Zanya and the guard were locked in a staring match, one the blonde martial artist eventually forfeit as she stepped back, her eyes focusing on the raven haired as he gave her, and the others, a reassuring smile.

The guard kept his stance, though.

"C'mon, Ben, let it go." The other guard told him as he grabbed Rian by the arm to lead him away.

"Fine!" 'Ben' said after a few seconds, lowering his weapon and stepping back as well. "Let's go." He let out as he and his companion moved towards the door.

The mean guard stayed behind for a couple of seconds more, looking at his prisoners with a superior expression.

"You'll get yours as well… and soon." He stated as he turned towards the exit as well.

"Yeah, yeah…" Zanya commented, waving her hand dismissively. "Just get outta here… Miles…" She added with a mocking smile, causing Quentin to shake his head and throwing Sorphan into a laughing fit.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You there, what is your business here?" The guard stationed at the parking lot of the prison called as a truck that had just passed the checkpoint, stopped right in front of him.

The door opened and out came a young red headed woman, wearing a long, light brown coat, cowgirl boots and a really short skirt. Inara walked over to the man, who was completely dazzled and taken back from her appearance, thinking that he would finally get lucky.

"Howdy!" She greeted, using all her charm and seduction to make him putty in her hands.

The guard couldn't even formulate one word as she walked slowly over to him, leaning against another parked military truck before relaying her intentions.

"I'm here to pick up a prisoner..." She told him, her husky tone keeping the man completely entranced and barely able to register her words. "I was informed he was brought in yesterday..." She added, looking at him with a sensual intensity.

"Humm... Yeah..." The man started, finally finding his voice as his military character momentarily overcame his manhood. "Yesterday's prisoners are to be interrogated. I'm afraid I can't surrender any of them to you without further orders." He informed, though his expression seemed to suggest there was something she could give him that would change his resolve.

Inara had to suppress a laugh at the man's obvious innuendo. Well, he wasn't extremely ugly but he wasn't particularly handsome either besides, he wasn't her type. Furthermore, Inara had no intention of prolonging this interaction more than she needed to, and this time she didn't have to.

"I have them right here." She said, reaching slowly inside her coat and retrieving the envelope she had received from the Congresswoman and handed it over to the guard. "You'll find everything you'll need in there." She added, though the look in his face indicated he somewhat doubted it.

It might have everything he needed, but certainly not everything he wanted, crossed his mind as he checked the contents. His eyes widened considerably as, in addition to a photograph of a raven haired young man, the prisoner most likely, were around one million gil in really large bills, ones he had never known existed less alone laid his eyes on.

Inara strained to hide her smirk. If there were two things that would sway a man's resolve, it was a hot booty, or a lot of money. This time it seemed to be the latter. However, Inara's smile faltered as the guard raised his head and there was still wanting in his eyes. This man was beginning to annoy her...

"These are important prisoners... I'm gonna need more than this to allow the transfer..." He said and the "_more"_ was more than obvious.

Maybe she shouldn't have come out at him that strongly, then maybe he'd stick solely with the money...

"Oww... that's very unfortunate..." Inara wailed falsely, but convincingly, and this time it was the guard's grin that faltered.

The sharpshooter wasn't willing to do more to the man than she absolutely had to and she was more probable to knocking him out than to do what he wanted. Besides, she still had a trick up her sleeve... the third thing that allows one to get their way...

"Now I gotta go back to Congresswoman Caraway and tell her you didn't let me get her son back..." She paused as she saw his reaction to her words – the one she expected – to slowly creep into his features.

The third thing that allows one to get their way... fear of the powerful and influential ones...

The Congresswoman's reputation was known throughout Galbadia and it wouldn't be long now before he'd be doing her biding as his former lust was rapidly replaced with panic and fear...

"That would make her angry..." She added, fear carefully impersonated in her voice and demeanour. "You wouldn't like her when she's angry..." She finished, suppressing a smile as the man lost all colour.

Inara turned around with a disappointed and gloomy expression, as though it was the last time she'd see the man, and started walking over to her car really slowly. Inwards, she counted backwards, expecting, waiting for it...

… _3… 2… 1… _

"Wait!" She smiled wider as he called, replacing it immediately with an oblivious expression as she turned to acknowledge him.

"Yes?" She feigned ignorance.

"I'll get him for you... for the Congresswoman! I'll... I'll think of something!" He blurted out, though at the moment his mind was blank as to how he'd do it.

The only thoughts running through his mind was of what Congresswoman Caraway would do to him if he didn't release her son... best case scenario, he'd end up patrolling the northern Trabia Continent's facilities alone and on foot... best case scenario...

"Oh, that would be great!" Inara eagerly replied, laughing heartily inside her head, accompanied by Minotaur's loud laugh.

"Alright... wait here!" He told her as he clumsily rushed away, deeper inside the facility.

"Right here!" She confirmed when, in his hurry, he could no longer hear her.

Her laugh echoed within the parking lot once she was certain he was out of earshot. That had been fun and had imbedded in her a pleasant feeling of victory.

But then the warm, happy feeling was replaced by sadness as she remembered the implications of her actions and mission. She could save one, but was condemning the others.

And there was nothing she could do...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jim cursed inwardly over the pickle he found himself in. On one side, going behind his superior's back as to release one of the prisoners that had participated on the attack on the Sorceress, _the new sheriff in town_, was a really bad career move. However, going against a congressman, ESPECIALLY Congresswoman Caraway who was by far one of the most influential, didn't seem like a smart move either.

He was between a sword and a hard place, so he chose the hard place. It took him about 10 seconds to decide on the Congresswoman's favour over the other. Besides, with some luck, no one would even miss that particular prisoner.

As Jim entered the prison sector of the complex – his mind reeling in on possible excuses to remove the prisoner in question from his cell – he barely registered his surroundings. He walked with his eyes on the floor, descending the steps out of that drill's control room and nearing the interrogation room.

"C'mon, move it!" A guard ahead of him ordered someone, drawing Jim out of his thoughts as he observed the scene.

He immediately recognized Ben and Stuart as they were pushing a raven haired young man towards the interrogation room, while carrying a large red weapon-like object.

"Knight Almasy is expecting you..." He added suggestively, an evil, smug smile on his face that made Jim freeze in his spot in recognition.

His hands went to his uniform's pocket to retrieve the envelope and the picture in it. There was no mistaking it, the young man in the photo and the prisoner being lead to the interrogation room – that for all intents and purposes was referred to as the _torture_ room – were one and the same. His eyes rose once again to the door where the three men had disappeared into...

_Oh, crap..._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hah, our honour guest has arrived! Welcome!" Seifer greeted with an obvious mocking tone as he stared down at the new arrival with a truly wild grin and anger deeply buried in his stare.

Rian was suddenly invaded by a deep dread, but he strained as to not give the blond the satisfaction that he was scared outta his mind. Something about the Knight's demeanour gave him a really, REALLY bad feeling...

"Hey Leonhart!" He added as he momentarily turned his back on him. "Look who's here!" He told someone as he motioned the guards to bring him closer and further inside the room, one of them using Rian's own weapon to push him inside.

Rian widened his eyes at the mention of that name. _It can't be... can it...?_ He couldn't stop but wonder as he was shoved inside the room and, chained up to the wall, was someone he feared he'd never see again.

"Schala..." He called lowly, fearing his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But his imagination could never recreate that deep blue-grey stare that looked at him with a mixed sense of relief and concern. The emotion in those most beautiful eyes always made him feel as he could easily lose himself in them.

"Hah, what a happy reunion..." Seifer's rancorous tone echoed in the room, stripping Rian of the warm and happy feeling he gained from seeing the brunette woman alive again.

Rian focused on the blond then, his face more dangerous than ever as he removed his black leather gloves and stuffed them in his coat's pocket.

"Let's get down to business, shall we...?" Seifer said out loud as he once again approached Rian.

All attentions were locked on the Knight and the new prisoner, so much no one noticed as one of the guards discarded the strange bended red board on to a corner, nor as another guard entered the room.

"Well now..." Seifer started again and as Rian was expecting some sort of question, he was unprepared for the hard punch to the stomach that followed.

His lungs seemed to have been yanked out through his throat as he felt immediately winded, falling to his knees as he gasped for air. His eyes stung and watered as they loss focus momentarily and for a second there, he actually feared he'd lose consciousness.

Schala fought to get free but the chains were too tight, the sound making Seifer turn his head towards her. His face was frightening, wild and completely out of control. Schala had never seen him like that...

The blond Knight's attention refocused on Rian as this one seemed to recover somewhat. He had to restrain himself... he didn't want it to end too soon... he thought with a smile as he lifted the other man to his feet, pushing him against the wall with a grunt.

"Hmm... let's wipe that pretty-boy's face off, shall we?" He suggested, making Rian's eyes widen considerably.

_Why__'s this guy so angry with me...?_ He wondered as Seifer punched him in the face, hard. Rian felt like he'd been hit by a truck, making the strength of his legs falter but he didn't fall as Seifer kept him up against the wall.

He punched him again and again and Rian already felt blood pouring from his cheek and lips. Still he didn't understand this punishment... he wasn't even asking him any questions.

The abuse continued under the entertained eyes of the guards, one of which didn't seem too happy though, and Schala's. She could almost feel each strike taken against the raven haired as the sound of each hit echoed in the room. She cringed as with a new kick, Rian fell back to the floor, Seifer finally letting him fall.

He was a mess. Hair and clothes in disarray, face, arms, and most likely chest, full of bruises and even cuts from the violent beating. She didn't know how much longer Rian could withstand such punishment...

"Get up! I'm not finished with you, yet!" Seifer ordered as, when Rian didn't comply, he started kicking his lying form.

"Seifer! Stop it!" Schala couldn't hold it any longer. Anymore and the young man would not only lose consciousness, he could die from internal bleeding.

Seifer stopped mid kick, his face unreadable as he set his foot down and turned his head towards the brunette. Schala shivered. That blank stare, deprived of emotion disturbed her even more than his earlier wild one.

"So..." He started, his voice dangerously low. "... You'd scream for him..." He added, his voice rising a bit on the end as he kicked him again gaining a weak grunt.

Abandoning and apparently forgetting all about Rian, Seifer started walking slowly towards Schala. His eyes started to reveal another type of madness. A mixture of anger, envy, lust, wanting... desire... one very similar to the one he'd carried that night on the ballroom's balcony but this time, ten times more intense...

He stepped closer, almost to the point that their bodies touched as he rested his hands on the wall behind her. He leaned closer, his face millimetres from hers as he whispered in her ear.

"Will you scream for me, now...?" He asked, making her tremble not only for his closeness or words, but mostly on the tone they were spoken on.

.

Rian recovered part of his strength and tried to move just enough so that he could see what was going on. He wasn't being hit anymore, so what was going on? He strained and managed to lift his head enough to see ahead of him. His eyes widened as Seifer was practically on top of Schala and a deep anger and frustration of not being able to do anything invaded him.

.

"What are you talking about?" Schala hastily countered, almost without thinking. He was WAY too close, she just wanted him farther away from her.

Seifer leaned off a bit so that he could look into her eyes and though she silently thanked him for that – his breath tickling her neck was driving her insane – she didn't appreciated his next move. His right hand left the wall as it started tracing her body, making her tense on contact.

His bare hand moved down her back and into the front, descending further onto the split of her skirt and to her thigh. Schala had to close her eyes, biting her lower lip as her body involuntarily leaned forward. She was deeply invaded with a feeling she didn't recognize and couldn't control. She couldn't think and her body seemed to have a mind of its own.

Seifer's hand left her leg and her body almost seemed to mourn the loss of contact. His hand then rested on her face, caressing her cheek as, once again without Schala wanting, her head leaned in to the touch.

Seifer was stunned by her reaction. He didn't expect that at all. Was it a trick? Didn't seem so, at least... he hoped not. Straightening her head, Seifer leaned closer again, his eyes focusing on her dark red lips for a second before locking into her closed eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers, basking in her scent before he spoke tenderly.

"Join me..." He asked and Schala didn't react at first almost as she hadn't heard him.

"Leonhart… Join me at my Sorceress' side…" He repeated and this time, Schala seemed to have heard him.

At the word Sorceress, Schala snapped out of it, her mind suddenly overcoming the weakness of her body towards Seifer's gentle touches. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, careful as to not show she was back in control of herself.

She leaned her head as if asking him to elaborate and as before, he seemed to read her mind.

"Sorceress Edea spared your life… she knows how strong you are!" He explained, confirming Schala's doubts that the Sorceress had been responsible for the healing of her injury. "I'm sure that if I ask her, she'll let you join us… join me…" He added, the meaning of the _"join me"_ bit obvious to her.

After all, his hitting on her and the lust he felt for her were no secret and he had never attempted to hide those particular desires either. Schala might have been confused at times towards his advances but one thing was clear on her mind. She'd never join the murderous sorceress.

She leaned forward towards him, his surprise slowing his reaction as she whispered in his ear, her voice still weak and slightly breathless.

"Seifer…" Her breath ticked in his ear, making him close his eyes expectantly. "The one chance you had with me…" She continued, still keeping him entranced that he didn't notice her slight change of tone. "Was when I was unconscious…"

Now the harshness of the tone on those last words woke him up and he leaned back, his surprised eyes locking on her narrowed, irate ones. She had played him just then and his surprise quickly turned to irritation. And irritation led to anger.

They kept in a silent stare battle for a few seconds before Seifer broke it with a strong slap to her face. Her cheek burned from the hard hit, indicator of just how irritated he really was.

When Schala rose her aching face back at him, his earlier grin was replaced by an angry sneer, effect enhanced by the deep fury in his eyes. He had stepped back before the hit but approached again, his hands to the wall as he leaned dangerously close, his eyes never tearing from hers.

"Well…" He said in a low, threatening tone. "Let's work on that then…" He added as he backed out again, still looking directly into her eyes as he stretched his arm to the side, towards the man near the torture console.

"Hit it!" He ordered and not a second later, Schala's screams filled the room as she was coursed with a strong electrical current, feeling as her blood boiled from the intensity of the high voltage.

"Stop it!" Rian cried out as, in a surge of adrenaline and frustration, he stood with a jump and tried to reach her or attack Seifer, one wouldn't be sure as he hadn't given two steps before one of the guards was knocking him down again.

The electricity stopped, with Schala still holding on to her consciousness as Seifer turned to the, again, lying form of the raven haired.

"Get him out of here!" He ordered, his tone and dangerous expression still revealing the angry state he was in. But now his focus lay solely on the brunette.

"I'll take him…" Jim told the other guards as Seifer was no longer listening, ordering another volt to course the hanging young woman.

"You sure?" Ben asked, looking down at the young man.

"Yeah, he's in no state to gimme trouble…" He tried to act cool and unworried as the opportunity of getting the kid outta there and into the hands of the woman waiting in the parking lot suddenly presented itself. He wouldn't get another one of these.

"I'll just take him back to his cell… no worries…" He rushed and suddenly feared he'd look too eager to get out of there with the young man. But luckily for him, the woman's screams dulled the others' senses as they just shrugged it off.

Nodding, Jim pulled the young man up and led him out of the room – Rian state allowing him to guide him without much resistance – picking up his strange red weapon on the way, and both left the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had been easier than he thought to carry the young man through the facility and towards the parking lot. Strangely enough, no one had asked what he was doing carrying a half-conscious boy throughout the premises.

Jim thanked for his good fortune as he successfully and without any confrontation, reached his destination with his cargo in one piece… or almost.

"Oh my Hyne, what the hell happened to him?" Inara inquired in true shock and surprise as she rushed toward the two men, immediately relieving the weight of the raven haired off the guard as she then started leading him towards her car, checking his condition as they walked.

"In…ra…" He tried to say but she immediately shushed him as the guard was still in listening distance.

"It wasn't my fault, you gotta tell the congresswoman that!" Jim instantly tried to cover his own ass, though it was true it had not been his fault the young man was in such poor condition.

They had reached her car as Inara, gently, sat Rian on the passenger's, closing the door and looking at the guard with disbelief evident in her eyes. Seemed like all her innuendo had flown outta the window at the pitiful sight of her friend.

"It was the Knight, that Seifer Almasy guy that beat him up to a pulp, I had nothing to do with that!" He quickly explained.

"Seifer…" Inara wondered, her mind travelling back to the orphanage days and the little mischievous blond boy who was always hanging around the silent brunette…

_So it was HIM at the parade, the Knight…He's joined with Sorceress Edea… Matron, does that meant Seifer remembers the old days too?_ She couldn't stop but wonder, it was either that or he was being controlled as well. With what she'd seen ever since this whole thing started, nothing surprised her much.

"So, you'll… you'll tell the Congresswoman I had nothing to do with the boy's beating?" Jim kept asking in panic as Inara rounded the car and opened the door to the driver's seat, only then raising her eyes to the nervous man.

"I… I actually saved him by pulling him out… will you tell her that?!?"

Inara stared at the man for a moment as she snatched Cardinal from the man's hands hand threw it to the back seat of the truck. Her eyes focused on the man once more as he was already half-way inside the car.

"A hero, huh…?" She said, making the man breath in relief as she entered the car, closed the door and started the engine.

As the man stepped back to give her manoeuvrability, she lowered her window and stuck her head out of it.

"I'll think about it!" She said and sped away before the man could say anything else, his colour once again abandoning him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"ARRRRGHHHH!!!" Schala screamed as the unbearable electrical current coursed through her once more, her body falling limp only held by the shackles of her wrists.

"Still awake, are we?" Seifer started again, having resuming his pacing as he commanded the high voltage to traverse her again and again.

"Well now, Leonhart. I'll ask again." He added, stopping and standing in front of her as he used his right hand to lift her head.

"What is SeeD? And why do you oppose the sorceress?" He asked yet again as he kept his eyes on hers.

Schala could barely keep from fainting but still kept his stare. Still, she was confused by his questions, truly not knowing what he referred to as he inquired to the true purpose of SeeD or why they opposed the sorceress. She just didn't know…

"Sir Almasy…?" A guard called out as he entered the interrogation room, saluting as the blond Knight acknowledged his presence.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" Seifer spat back, but the guard remained unaltered as he relayed his message.

"Sir, the missiles targeted for the Garden are ready to launch." He informed.

Seifer's eyes glimmered as Schala's widened. Had she heard the man correctly? There were missiles targeted at Garden?

"Excellent…" Seifer commented, dismissing the guard in the process, who saluted and left the room.

Seifer then turned to Schala, the smirk returning to his features.

"Trabia and Balamb Garden are to be destroyed on charges of training SeeDs to oppose the sorceress

_WHAT?!? _Schala's eyes widened further, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. How could he do that? How could he destroy the only home either of them ever knew…?

"It's a pity, really. I grew up there too…" He sighed out, though his expression showed no sign of remorse or hesitation. "But orders are orders, and Edea wants it destroyed."

"NO!" Schala screamed, refusing to believe both: that they could destroy Garden and Seifer's callous attitude towards it. It was unthinkable in her head that Seifer could be acting on his own free will while saying those things… it just wasn't the Seifer she knew…

"But yes…" He replied, stepping closer to her again and such was her agitation regarding this matter, she didn't even react to his closeness.

"And after the Gardens are gone… the SeeD hunt will begin…" Schala's eyes widened even further, not believing… refusing to believe what she was hearing was coming from the man in front of her. "Starting with Galbadia Garden, I will hunt down every SeeD in the world… I will terminate everyone of your _kind_…" He added as he stood closer to her, the word _"kind"_ said with such a poisonous tone it disturbed her.

Then he stepped back, turning to the man by the console.

"Continue with the interrogation." He ordered as the man stepped forward.

"Yes sir…" He said half-mockingly, half-serious as he looked at Schala's restrained form. His eyes were beyond disturbing, beyond disturbed as the raw lust reflected in them would be visible even to a blind person.

Seifer's smirk was forced as he approached the grinning man. Then in a fast and sudden move, Seifer grabbed the man by the throat, much to his surprise and the rest of the guards', and slammed him against the metal wall.

He leaned closer, his smirk turning to a dangerous sneer as he set his deadly glare at the man, certain he had his full and undivided attention.

"You touch her…" He warned but was interrupted.

"You'll kill me?" He completed, actually grinning back at him, either outta defiance or nervousness, no one could be sure.

Seifer let go a dry chuckle.

"Perhaps not… but when I'm done with you, you're gonna wish I'd killed you…" He emphasized, pushing him against the wall once more before releasing him, the man barely able to keep from falling down.

Sending one last warning look his way, Seifer turned to leave, but not without a last glance and a simple wave at the hanging brunette.

"You used to be a SeeD too…" She told him just before he fell outta earshot, making him stop by the threshold.

He just stood there for a couple of seconds then resumed his march without another word.

"Right then… let us continue…" The man in different uniform started, drawing everyone's attention as Schala turned her head towards him with narrowed eyes.

"You three… get out." He said simply, causing ht three other guards to look at each others.

"But he said…" One started but it was rudely and immediately cut off.

"I don't care what that kid says!" He spat out. "I prefer to make my interrogations… privately…" He commented, sharing a look her way as she frowned in response.

"Don't worry…" He said, no longer considering the soldiers and almost like he was talking to himself. "This bird will be singing in no time…" He added.

The three guards looked at each others again, unsure on what to do. After a moments' ponderings, they shrugged it off, commenting on something like _"your funeral"_ and walked out of the room, thought they remained just outside the door.

"Well… now that we're alone… let's have some fun, huh?" He said and, without a warning, pressed the button on the console sending a new wave of high voltage coursing through her.

This time the charge lasted more than the previous times and Schala felt like she was being ripped to pieces. When it finally stopped, she could hardly breathe, gasping for air and barely registering as the man abandoned his position and neared hers.

"Such a pretty girl… what a waste…" He commented, without a hint of sorrow as he reached his hand to lift her face.

The young woman flinched visibly, pushing back against the wall till she could go no further, actually trembling in fear of his advances.

"Ohh, you shouldn't have done that…" He said as he inched closer and closer, leaning his face disturbingly closer to hers. "I love it when they do that…" He said as got even closer.

"Do what…?" Schala's voice came out surprisingly calm, as it was a totally different person that was just cowering in fear. So much was it unexpected, the man couldn't even react to her words. "Do this!" She added as, with the little space she had left, she balanced her head and smacked it hard against the unprepared man.

The man collapsed onto the floor, unconscious and with a broken nose and, most probably, pride. Schala shook her head. The blow had been hard on her too, but she had to make sure she'd knock him out.

Reorganizing her thoughts, Schala started pulling her right arm off the wall in an effort of releasing herself. She had noticed in her previous attempts that the right cuff was slightly looser than it should be and, with the right amount of pressure she was unsure to be able to gather, she might be able to get herself free.

She pushed and pulled her arm, almost dislocating it with a particularly clumsy pull, but she could feel the shackle giving in.

"Hey, man… what are you doing in there?" One of the guards asked from outside and, despite Schala's hopes, the men opened the door and re-entered the room.

"What the hell…?!?" The first one commented at the sight of the man splattered in the ground with a bloody nose and the woman struggling to get free.

He rushed towards Schala first and reached her just as, with a particularly painful jerk, she freed her hand, punching the man down as he got too close. As the other two hurried inside as well, she tried to release the other cuff but had to stop as a new electric current slammed against her.

Her screams echoed throughout the room and nearby floors as shock felt much more intense than before. The man with the bloody nose collapsed onto the ground near the console, after spiking up the voltage and pressing the button for an insanely long amount of time. The other two men had to pry the man from the controls before the woman was burned alive…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Miles' coming!" Sorphan warned, this time not needing to suppress a laugh at the mention of the guard's name. His attention laid elsewhere.

"Alright! Everyone ready?" Quentin made the ready check and, receiving affirmative signs from the remaining occupants of the cell, they all prepared to fulfil their plan.

Miles walked calmly through the halls, doing his patrols of the floor in charged to him. Apart from some useless vagrants, there was a particular cell that held his interest, because it had a total of three prisoners in there but mostly due to the recent humiliation he'd passed there. He was bound to get his revenge.

Passing by said cage's door, he sneaked a peak over the small grated opening.

Inside, the two remaining males sat on the ground leaning against the wall, apparently just resting along with the Moomba that had remained inside after the last incident. The furry creature was lying on the floor.

Hitting the door with his baton in warning and to make his presence known, Miles started to walk away from the door when something hit him.

The door to the cell opened suddenly and abruptly as Miles bursted in, his baton in his hands and he pointed it towards the – apparently surprised by the intrusion – teens.

"Where's that other one?" He asked as he looked around the room and found no trace of the strange blonde chick with all the muscles and tattoos.

"Where's who?" Quentin feigned ignorance. Miles face was turning crimson with rage.

"The woman! Where's the woman?" He yelled out, getting angrier by the second that those two played dumb.

"There was a woman here? Where?!?" Sorphan played his role, looking around excitedly.

"Don't play games with me!" His tone grew in volume as he stepped further inside the cell, waving his baton around so that the others would keep their distance and not try anything. "She couldn't have gotten out! That's the only door out of here and it was locked, just as I left it! So she has to be here, WHERE IS SHE?!?" The guy was snapping as he stepped closer to the teens and the Moomba, deeper inside the holding room.

_Just a bit more…_ They all thought.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Quentin added in his quiet and collected tone, not at all disturbed by his attitude.

"But… was there really a woman here? Where?! I didn't see her…" Sorphan put in, Miles was now as red a tomato, with all the blood rushing to his face.

"I think he might have imagined it… you know, being stationed here for a long time might have gotten him confused somehow… making him see things that aren't there…" Quentin whispered to the tall brunet, though it was more than loud enough for the guard to hear him.

"Ohh, right… so sad…" Sorphan replied, making a really convincing pity face that carried him over the edge.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!" Miles yelled as he stepped forward.

_Just one more step…_

The guard had stepped within the central area of the cell and above him, almost glued to the ceiling, supported in the bars, hanged Zanya, smirking like mad and barely able to control her laughter on the situation. If he took much longer, she'd blow the whole thing.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Miles demanded, giving one more step towards them.

_YES!!!_

The two males stopped their acting and turned to him. Smiling, they simply pointed upwards gaining a truly confused look from the man.

"Right here, baby!" Her shout made him look up but it was too late.

The only thing he saw was Zanya falling on top of him, landing expertly over him and knocking him out in two seconds flat.

"Cool…" Sorphan commented, the squeak from the Moomba seemed to indicate the reddish creature agreed with him.

"Piece of cake!" Zanya cheered, standing over her unconscious victim.

"Ok… now we must stick to the plan… Zanya?" Quentin started again as he approached the door to check there weren't anymore guards.

"Right!" Zanya checked as she readied herself to leave the room.

Since the guards had taken Rian that the SeeDs started thinking up a plan to escape. After a few preposterous ideas, among them one that involved skinning the poor Moomba and use his skin as a costume to escape – Sorpan got pretty odd stares after that one, not to mention the furry creature now stood as far away as possible from the tall brunet – the best one thought up was of Zanya using her unarmed combat style to defeat the guard and retrieve the others' weapons. The fact that she was Wada in the dream world and that she worked there for a couple of hours also gave her the advantage.

"Ok… there's a storage room every four levels… I gotta check which level we're on, but either way your weapons should be nearby…" She reasoned, talking mostly to herself than to the others.

"Well, I'm off!" She reinforced, moving towards the exit.

Hearing a loud squeak from behind, the martial artist stopped to see the reddish creature approaching her and jumping up and down, as if trying to say something.

"Huh? What… you wanna go too?" Zanya thought and as she received another squeak and a happy jump in response, she assumed it did.

"Ahh…" She hesitated, but looking at the creature's big round dark eyes, she just couldn't say no. "I guess… Just don't get in the way!" She told it, receiving yet another happy hop in reply.

"Ok, let's get going!" She said again, moving out of the room followed by the shorter Moomba as they entered the wide circular hall under the supporting expressions of the two male SeeDs.

Zanya stepped out and immediately, after checking for guards, started looking for the indication for their floor. It didn't take her long to find a plaque which said "6th floor".

"Alright…" She whispered, facing the sign. "If we're on the 6th floor, it's most likely our weapons were stored on the 8th floor storage room…" She explained, now looking down at the Moomba. "Let's go!"

And they rushed, as silently as they could, towards the stairs leading up. Once they reached the 7th floor, there was no sign of any other guards. Zanya thought it strange at first but didn't complain much as, while always attentive to her surroundings, she made to rise to the next floor, the Moomba close behind her.

On the next floor, the 8th, their destination, again there was no sign of any guards. Now that was strange, there was usually one patrolling guard per level.

_Maybe they're on break or something…_ She reasoned, but didn't ponder much on it since she still had a job to do.

Looking around the hall, she quickly found the storage room across from her, but the door was opened. Proceeding with the utmost caution, Zanya and the Moomba moved slowly towards the opened door.

Once they were close enough, they started hearing voices. Zanya raised her hand as a stop sign, motioning it then to indicate advancing slowly. The Moomba didn't fully understand her hand gestures, but still followed her lead.

Zanya inched near the threshold, now able to understand what was being said as she peaked inside the room.

"Look at this… SeeD weapons…" A guard commented as he looked down at a pile of items spread across the floor.

"Is this what they call a gunblade? That's a weird thing…" Another guard, one Zanya couldn't see from the boxes that cut her line of vision added.

They were ransacking the prisoners' belonging! But at least now she knew she was on the right track.

"Check these out, a whip, nunchaku…" The same man said, allowing Zanya to pinpoint his position from the sound he made.

Signalling the Moomba to stay behind, the martial artist sneaked inside the room, going around her many obstacles till she was near the caged area of the storage room, where their stuff was kept.

As the guards seemed busy with their looting, Zanya got out of hiding and walked slowly nearer to them. When they got aware of her presence, it was too late. She double kicked them in less than a second, throwing them off. She then punched one right in the face, knocking him down, turned and kicked the other one in the stomach. The man bended over in pain, till the woman smacked him in the back of his head, making him collapse on the floor.

"That was easy…" She commented as the Momba followed her in, his sharp eyes widened at the girl's skill. "Ok… now, to get these…" She added as she picked up the weapons and carried them as she could, wrapping the whip around her waist and strapping the gunblade and nunchaku on her back with the help of her long belt.

"Ok, ready…" She added, looking as the Moomba pounded on one of the guards happily. The creature then looked up at the young woman and, though she really couldn't tell, his expression seemed happy.

As if planned, the two of them leaned back and laughed heartily.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Yo, sorry to keep ya waitin'!" Zanya stated as she re-entered the cell where her friends and fellow SeeDs stood, the Moomba walking in behind her.

"Did you get the weapons?" Quentin asked, but his answer was quite clear as he took a good look at her.

"Did I get the weapons…" She replied with a smile as she reached for the accessories she carried and handed them over to their rightful owners, keeping the gunblade by her waist for when they found Schala.

"Cardinal wasn't there…" She mentioned the absence of Rian's weapon making them all wonder what exactly had happened to him…

"But if they had Schala's, it means she must be here somewhere, right?" Sorphan asked, hopeful she was alive.

"The guards mentioned an interrogation room…" Quentin started, and Zanya immediately picked up on it.

"There's an interrogation room on the top floor! About six floors up!" She quickly informed and a new sense of hope coursed through all of them.

"Let's go check it out, then!" Quentin instructed, receiving everyone's approval.

"Time to go kick some ass!" Zanya cheered, punching the air around her.

"Yeah!" Quentin added, cracking his whip and placing it in his belt, ready to use.

"Right on!" Sorphan put in, swinging his nunchaku expertly before replacing it in his back's holster

"Rghhh!!!" The Moomba cheered as well, getting along with their optimist mood.

But as they all prepared to leave, voices from outside made them halt and hold their breaths.

"Is this the room with the uncooperative prisoners?" A strong and strangely familiar voice, at least to Zanya and Sorphan, reached them.

"Yes, this is it." A new voice replied, this one sounding like one of the guards that had come in before to mess with them. "Please give'em something to complain about…" He added with an obvious mean tone.

"Should we be picking on prisoners so soon after gettin' transferred here, sir?" A new and also strangely familiar sounded.

"Just be quiet, and let me handle this!" The first voice added, obviously of a higher rank.

"Strange... the door's open…" The guard whispered. _Miles must be messing with them again… _he reasoned.

The SeeDs and the Moomba remained as silent as possible, still a bit stunned by the obstacle to their escape, they readied themselves for a possible battle.

"This way please, Lieutenant Biggs, Private Wedge." The guard added as the three men entered the room. A guard from the prison and two galbadian soldiers, one in red uniform and another in blue.

_Biggs? Wedge? _Both Sorphan and Zanya thought as they shared a look. Those names sounded so familiar and the scene at Dollet's Communication Tower suddenly flashed in their minds as they turned towards the galbadians.

The five men and Zanya just stood there for a couple a seconds, staring at each other as the recognition slowly registered in their brains.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Wedge, Biggs, Zanya and Sorphan cried out, to the surprise of the guard, who was more concerned with the fact that Miles was knocked out in a corner, and Quentin, who didn't understand what was going on.

After the initial shock passed, Biggs raised his weapon, a smirk on his face.

"S-So we meet again!" He started, glaring at the two teenagers that had given him so much trouble in his last assignment. "Now we'll teach you the lesson we should have taught you earlier! Too bad you're unarmed though… not very sporty…" He added, though he didn't seem too heartbroken that they were helpless.

But their untroubled expressions gave him a bad vibe, justified as the teens pulled out their weapons, and Zanya cracked her knuckles noisily.

"…" Biggs' next line was cut short as he saw that…

"Uh, they are fully armed, sir…" Wedge stated as it was the teens that sported the smirks now.

Biggs' eyes widened, hidden by his helmet he now thanked Hyne he had decided to keep on. He didn't quite understand what was going on, how they had their weapons, but…

"Ahh, the hell with it! Let's go Wedge!" He ordered and powered his weapon to attack with Wedge following his command and pulling out his sabre.

As they started, Zanya rushed to the, now, lieutenant and kicked his gun away, starting up a fist fight with the heavier man while Sorphan duelled Wedge.

Quentin rushed forward, chasing after the guard who was trying to escape. Cracking his whip, the blond instructor launched it forward, wrapping it around the man's throat and pulling him back and onto the floor. The man grunted, but he was still restrained. Quentin twisted his pulse and the man was send twirling and against the wall, collapsing backwards.

Meanwhile Zanya was gaining the upper hand in her battle. The man could pack quite the punch, but it was rather useless when he couldn't hit her. She supported her hands on the floor, raising her feet and kicking the man onto the floor, then she climbed on top of him and punched him hard and with a grunt, he no longer moved.

As for Sorphan, he had trapped Wedge's blade with the chain of his nunchaku and twirled it out of his hands. He then swung them with practiced skill and knocked him out upside the head.

After the battle ended, the teens regrouped, with the Moomba once again, pounding on the unconscious guard.

"You knew them?" Quentin asked, curious as to the little reunion.

"We ran in to them on the SeeD Exam…" Zanya provided, with Sorphan nodding behind her. "Looks like they got demoted, though…" She added with a whisper, smiling at their unconscious forms. It kinda always ended up like that.

"I see…" Quentin thought nothing of it, just a strange and unexpected event. "We need to get moving!" He added and all the others agreed.

But as the SeeDs and the Moomba left the room, there was movement among the fallen bodies. Biggs stirred with difficulty, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small command.

"Don't you think you can just walk out…" he barely let out, pressing the button and fainting. "Ugh…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Heya… __**Hides…**_

_Don't hit me, ok? I am SO sorry for the delay… did I mention school was evil? Well… it's worse than evil, it's… well, it's whatever is worse than evil…_

_I hope you liked this chapter, for all his length… I really enjoyed writing this "little" thing, especially since it's been on my mind almost since the beginning XD._

_Kinda sad, ain't it… my story is little over a year old and it's still on the 25__th__ chapter… sad… Oh well, I'll get it done… eventually…_

_Next, on Twisted Fantasy! Prison Break!! (Sorry girls, no Scofield ;P) Stay tuned!!_

_Many hugs and kisses to all my readers!!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	26. Chapter 26: Prison Break

**Disclaimer: **_I believe it is (painful) obviously I don't own Final Fantasy VIII…_

**Chapter 26 - Prison Break**

Rian opened his eyes slowly, the mid morning sun blinding him for a moment as he seemed to forget what was going on.

"Hmm…" He groaned as he tried to move but his body was sore all over.

"Hah, you're awake." A familiar female voice sounded beside him, amidst the roar of the engine and of passing through the gravelled road. "Welcome back." Inara greeted with a smile as his eyes finally adjusted enough to recognize her.

Rian just groaned in response, a bit disappointed, perhaps, as for a second, he'd hope the woman next to him to be another.

"Where are we…?" He managed to ask after recovering some more.

"We're still in the desert, heading back to Deling…" She told him, her eyes temporarily leaving the road to focus on him. She frowned as she looked at him attentively. "Are you feeling ok? I healed the most of you, but you shouldn't move too much yet…"

After her words it came back to him everything that had happened. The assassination attempt, capture… the blond Knight's terrifying face… the torture… And Schala's painful screams suddenly filled his ears.

"Schala!" He called out as he straightened in his seat, making Inara almost jump outta her skin.

"Don't do that! I'm driving here!" She scolded, but he didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Where…?" He started, looking around the truck for anyone else, then to the road ahead and behind them, searching for a sign of a second vehicle. When he found none, he turned back to Inara who was suddenly and uncharacteristically, extremely serious.

"Where are the others? Quentin, Sorphan, Zanya… Schala… Where are they?" He asked, demanded even, growing increasingly worried and frustrated, especially when the red headed sharpshooter failed to react to his query.

"Inara?!?" He called out, almost screamed in her ear for an answer

The woman sighed heavily and Rian was about to ask again but she beat him to it.

"They're still inside the prison facility…" She said without a hint of emotion in her voice. She had been trained to hide her feelings, and she did it well. The situation was eating her from the inside but in the outside, everything seemed absolutely normal.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go break them out!" Rian insisted and again, the woman didn't seem to be listening to him. "Inara, are you listening? Turn this car around!" He asked, more than begged. He didn't understand what she was doing.

"I have my orders…" She said reluctantly and Rian failed to detect the resentment in her voice. That was the last thing she wanted to be doing too.

"Orders? What ord… Oh, I see…" _That woman… _Rian cursed under his breath. He should have known Congresswoman Caraway wouldn't let her _precious_ son ruin her career by being caught and imprisoned for a coup against the government. Though, in his point of view the political system of Galbadia was too screwed up now to be even called a system.

But he still couldn't believe that Inara would do his mother's biding and leave the others incarcerated.

"Inara… we gotta go back for the others!" He still wouldn't let it go, making even the sharpshooter doubt her resolve. "Forget about her orders, we gotta do what's right!" He emphasized, refusing to give up.

But Inara remained silent. Rian didn't understand how the world worked. You can't make things happen just because it's the right thing or you want to, there has to be conditions for it. But there weren't conditions for a rescue of their friends.

"I mean, don't you care?" He strained and that dragged a more annoyed reaction. He was crossing the line. "Are you a robot that obeys any order blindly?!" He insisted, not noticing the increasing frown on the red headed sharpshooter's face.

"They'd do it for you, and you're just leaving them…" He continued, driving her over the edge. "I mean… they're our friends… my friends…"

"Don't think...!" She suddenly snapped, her tone raising and finally showing her irritation. She calmed somewhat, breathing deeply before continuing under Rian's awaiting eyes. "Don't you think for one second that they mean more to you than they mean to me."

Inara's statement caught him by surprise, but he soon recovered and was about to inquire as to why she was walking, in this case driving away from them if she felt like that but didn't get the chance as Inara started up again, this time at a much calmer tone.

"I want to help them, don't you think I want them all outta there?" She rhetorically asked, again not giving him the chance to reply. "But I'm just one person against an army… What can I possibly do…?"

Rian noticed finally that Inara did care, despite her showing otherwise. She was used to be alone… a sharpshooter's loneliness she had grown so accustomed to, so dependant on that she couldn't accept the companionship her new friends provided easily. She had let him see her frustration and he only then realised that what she was doing was probably eating her up inside.

"Inara…" Rian started, looking at her intently, no longer with the recriminating glare he had on earlier but with a sympathetic one. "You're not alone anymore…"

He let that statement out in the open and it really made the red head think about it, receiving affirmative mental nods from her GFs. It was true. She had been alone for so long, she didn't know any other way to live… to survive… She wasn't used to depending on others, on having other people's lives in her hands like that.

She was left thinking, though still hesitating, as she continued driving but this time, contrary as it had happened all her life, she was unsure of her destination.

"Besides..." Rain started again, no longer looking at her but staring off ahead with an amused smile on his face. "If I know them as I know them… They're already half-way out!" He added causing the woman beside him to chuckle.

Inara supposed that was true. If she remembered them correctly from the old days, they were always hyper-active – especially those two – and couldn't possibly be held by four walls. They always found a way to escape when Matron grounded them…

Rian saw with pleasure as the woman reversed to her old self, cheery as she continued to drive on down the dirt road towards Deling city.

Then, suddenly and without warning, Inara turned the wheel, performing a hard U-turn at high speed – causing Rian to hold on with everything he had – and sped faster in the opposite direction, back to the D-District Prison facility.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright, all up from here!" Zanya informed as they stepped out of their cell, the boys staring up and downwards in the centre's large cavity.

They turned to face her and nodded. Quentin was a bit concerned. They couldn't see the bottom and could barely make out anything above them. That was not going to be a fast rescue or escape.

"Ok, let's hurry!" Zanya called out as if she'd shared his thoughts.

The last thing they wanted was to run into guards on their ascend…

But as if to contradict them, an alarm suddenly echoed within the metallic frame, its sound amplified so that it was heard throughout the structure.

"What the…?" Sorphan let out as the three grew alert, expecting a horde of guards to come down upon them.

"Warning! Escapee alert! Monsters will be set loose on each floor." A harsh voice rose above the alarm, its words mixing with static from the speakers.

"If escapees refuse to surrender, you have permission to kill." It continued, informing the guards, no doubt, and making the teens look around at each other.

First guards, now monsters… their escape was becoming more troublesome by the second.

"The anti-magic field will be lifted." The voice finished, the speakers echoing a loud click before shutting off, the screeching sound of the alarm the only one to reach the teens ears then.

"Oh, crap…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"How's Mick?" Stuart asked as Ben attended to the man with the broken nose that had fainted again after giving the brunette the shock of her life.

"He'll live…" Ben answered, the other man's injury far from serious. "Is she out?" He added signalling to the half-hanging woman as Stuart approached her.

The power had been on for a good minute or so before the guards were able to remove the other man from the controls. With the juice to the max and so much time under the strain of the electrical current, the guards were more than surprised to verify the woman still lived, the raise and fall of her chest indicating she was still breathing.

Stuart, who was nearest to her at the time, reached out with his hand over her face and, upon contact, her head jerked sideways to move away. Such sudden reaction made him and another guard jump in fright.

"Woah!!" He cried out before collecting himself. "This one's still breathing alright… it's a damn miracle…" He added as her head jerked again.

"Seems she's barely conscious…" The other one commented, seeing as her motions were more reactive than voluntary. _She can't be human… just like a wild animal…_ He reasoned as it seemed impossible to him someone had resisted the horrible torture.

There was suddenly a screeching alarm booming throughout the facility, making the men almost jump from their skins.

"Warning! Escapee alert!" A voice rose above the alarm, calming them somewhat as they registered what was going on.

"Monsters will be set loose on each floor." The voice added, the reception in the room practically void of static interference. "If escapees refuse to surrender, you have permission to kill."

"The anti-magic field will be lifted!" The voice continued before finishing its warning with a loud click. Only the alarm sounded now.

"Well now… haven't had that alarm playing in a while…" Ben commented, finishing patching up the torturer's nose.

"You think it's the other ones? The rest of her companions?" Stuart asked, still standing near Schala's limb form.

"Whoever they are, they won't get far with the monsters on the loose…" The other guard added.

While the guards talked among themselves, Schala struggled to keep from falling into unconsciousness, uncertain of being able to open her eyes again if that happened. She had taken the last jolts worse than ever before. Her body was completely strained, her energy's drained and only her stubbornness kept her awake… or close there of…

_**SCHALA!!!**_ A voice cried out inside her head, finally feeling itself hear as it had been screaming for hours now. But the brunette's frail state couldn't even acknowledge her GF's calling.

_**I can feel her again, but she's so week… Schala? Are you listening to me?**_ Shiva stressed, concern more than evident in her usually cool voice as she could feel the weakness on the girl's body and spirit.

_**You don't need to be so loud… it's obvious she can't hear you…**_ Diablos low and tough voice echoed in the woman's head. _**Can't you tell she's using all of her remaining power to keep herself from loosing consciousness…?**_ He reasoned, though the Ice Goddess didn't seem to be paying too much attention to the usually silent devil.

Shiva kept calling out for her master, the only one in two hundred years she had accepted as such. Before then, Shiva was too cold towards whoever tried to tame her and, even as they managed to get her into their heads, she never stayed long as her personality conflicted and she often refused to follow their orders. This girl had been different. At the time of her junctioning, the once little girl didn't seem affected by the Goddess's icy personality and their bonding was almost instantaneous, their compatibility off the charts. And so, with the girl's troubled, honest and thoughtful personality, Shiva felt her heart melt somewhat and she now cared deeply for her.

Having Schala in such a condition felt unbearable.

_**She's not listening to me, she's too weak…**_ Shiva finally admitted, receiving a mental sigh from her "roommate" as he had just said that. _**We have to do something!**_

_**There's nothing we can't do if our master does**__** not call upon us…**_ He simply replied, answer that didn't please the goddess in the least.

But her frustration changed to a thoughtful demeanour as something crossed her thoughts.

_**There is something I can do…**_ She started, what immediately sent warning signs into the dark guardian's mind.

_**What are you planning**__**, icy woman..?. You can't possibly… **_He started but she interjected.

_**I will not let this girl die!**_ She screamed in her mind. _**If you're not helping, stay out of the way! **_She demanded, starting to focus her energy.

Pure cold white energy started to focus deep within Schala's brain, numbing it further as Shiva's power grew and grew.

_**You'll end up draining yourself and killing her…**_ Diablos simply said, no emotion whatsoever in his dark voice.

_**She's used to the cold…**_ Shiva replied with a mental smirk._** Her body and spirit can handle it… **_Shiva stopped herself before allowing an "_**I hope**_…" to slip her thoughts. Hope she could save her master was the only thing that possessed her to try such a dangerous operation.

Dangerous for both her and Schala…

Diablos frowned and backed away silently to a deeper and darker corner of the brunette's mind. He suspected what the Ice Goddess was planning and it seemed so irrational to him that she would risk her existence in such a desperate act. Diablos found himself feeling some concern and couldn't stop but covertly channel a small part of his own energy to help Shiva accomplish her goals.

It was a dangerous thing for a GF to act without its master's will on something exterior to the master's physical limitations. One thing was to cause a chill to run up Schala's spine or help her maintain her body temperature in a hot environment, another thing was doing what Shiva was trying to do.

Schala's skin paled to a light shade of blue as Shiva's power spread throughout her entire body. From her head to the tip of her fingers, the cold power invaded her completely, starting even to affect the immediate vicinity of her body.

"Brrr… it suddenly got cold in here…" Ben commented as he rose to his feet, the torturer resting unconscious on the floor.

"Yeah… maybe the air conditioning's busted again…" The other guard commented. "At least it's sending out cold instead of heat… last week was unbearable… wasn't it Stu?" He called out.

Stuart, however, wasn't listening. He just stared at the brunette as she seemed to be paling horribly fast by the second.

"I think she's dead…" He commented, seeing her chest not moving at the same rhythm as before and her bluish skin.

The other guards exchanged a look. If something serious happened to the woman, the Knight would surely have their heads. At least that's what they'd gathered after his reaction with the other man's comment.

"Well, check her!" Ben told him and Stuart approached the woman once more.

The more he got close, the colder the air around him became. Again he reached out his hand to raise her face and this time she didn't flinch or reacted. He raised her face slowly, noting that her skin felt so cold to the touch, he doubted she had any blood circulation on that point. Her semi-closed eyes were still concealed by her long brown bangs that seemed to get bluer as well.

_Something really weird is going on here…_ He thought as he raised her head a bit more. She was now at eye level, but her eyes were still and now even more closed. Stuart inched closer as to see better and actually jumped back as her eyes suddenly opened.

"Woah!!" He cried out as he stepped back more, raising the distance between them as her head lowered again.

"What is it?" The others asked as they almost jumped as well.

"S-She… H-Her eyes… t-they were…" He started but silenced immediately as her limp head began to rise again.

"What a…" Ben started but stopped also as her eyes opened and looked directly at him.

They all swallowed dry as that was the strangest thing either of them had ever seen. Her eyes, her once blue-grey eyes were now ice stone blue and her pupils were also peculiar. Instead of their usual circular shape, they were in the form of a dark blue lozenge. In addition to the strange switch, her stare was worse that chilling, they could actually feel the cold stretching out onto them.

Schala's body moved then, straightening from its slouched position as her free had rose, setting her palm against the wall, which froze on that one spot. An icy wave began to spread with exponential speed throughout the walls, floor and ceiling of the room, and the guards had barely enough time to realise what was going on and react.

"Let's get outta here!" Stuart cried out for the others as they already made for the door, leaving the torturer Mick lying on the floor.

But it was too late. The ice was too fast for them and before they reached within a metre of the door, the cold wave had caught up to them. The instant they came in contact, one after the other, the men's bodies began to solidify rapidly, not even allowing either of them to give one more step towards the exit.

Meanwhile Shiva remained in control of her master's body, keeping her face expressionless as she strained to sustain her energy. The bluish brunette turned her head, seeing her still restrained hand. With a flick of her wrist, the shackles shattered as if they had been frozen to their core, the same happening to the ones in her ankles as she moved her legs.

Now free, the woman didn't even give a step before her strength and energy was completely drained and she slid back to the floor. The owner of the body had lost her consciousness long ago and her guardian could no longer sustain her control.

Schala remained so, half lying half sitting on the frozen floor of the interrogation room accompanied by four living icy statues.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Thunder!" Sorphan shouted and the yellow GIM47N collapsed heavily on the hard metallic floor upon being struck by the powerful electric spell.

The three remaining soldiers were instantly knocked out by Zanya's expert moves as Quentin used his Laser Eyes special spell to finally rid himself from the Wendigo he had restrained with his Chain Whip.

The SeeDs had managed to climb a couple of floors before encountering any resistance but once they reached the eighth floor, things became a little more complicated. Wendigos, prison guards and soldiers, some of them on yellow armoured mechanical suits, charged at them from the entire floor, upper and lower levels, slowing their progress considerably.

Of course, the monsters and soldiers were nothing the SeeDs couldn't handle, the real problem were their numbers which highly surpassed the three of them. Still, they were able to advance and after defeating this last group, nothing more stood between them and the access stairs to the twelfth and last floor of the prison facility.

As they rushed towards them, the sound of hurried footsteps and heavy machinery could still be heard approaching from the lower floors.

"How much longer?" Sorphan asked, turning to Zanya with a fed-up expression.

"It's just the next floor…" She started, receiving a relieved sigh. "The interrogation room should be just up there."

"Let's go, then!" Quentin said and the three of them rushed up the staircase, with the shorter Moomba following closely behind them.

As they climbed the last steps, the teens found themselves in a different hall than the previous six. This one still had the circular pit that descended to the base of the structure, but the ceiling was completely solid. Also, and in addition to some stairs that led upwards, there was a large rig hanging from the ceiling that held what it looked like a small cell.

They were finally on the top floor.

"Where's the interrogation room?" Quentin asked as he examined his surroundings. Apart from the staircase they had just used and the one leading up, there were a few doors around the circular pit.

The Moomba shrugged with a squeak as Zanya looked thoughtful for a moment, recalling the dream she'd had not that long ago.

"Over there!" She suddenly stated, pointing to a door to the immediate left of the ascending staircase. She rushed forward with the others right behind her. "Right through this door!" She pointed out at it as Quentin approached it.

"Let's just bust in!" Sorphan cheered, anxious to get their friend, companion and leader out of harms' way.

"Alright, get outta the way!" Zanya shouted as she stepped back, preparing a run up as she focused all her destructive power in one fated slam…

Sorphan immediately complied, stepping to the side but Quentin still seemed focused on the door. As he rested his hand on its surface, he had to immediately pull it out. The door was extremely cold, more than an ordinary metal door should be. It felt more like ice than metal. Looking down, he also noticed a thin white mist escaping from below the door.

"Here I go!" Zanya called out as she began her charge, fully intending on using all her power to kick the door down.

"Zanya, wait!" Quentin barely had time to warn, though it came too late and she had neither chance nor intention of stopping or slowing down. The blond instructor scarcely rolled out of the way as the girl stormed by him.

Zanya jumped high, kicking her legs forward so to hit the door with her full momentum… and so she did. The door cracked immediately and more easily that she had anticipated…

"Woah!" She cried out as the sheer force used in her charge was too much to the resistance offered by her obstacle and both it and the girl were thrown clear across the room.

The two young men rushed inside the room, following the sound of shattering ice and something heavy and hard slamming against the opposing wall. As they stepped inside, both had to strain to regain their balance as the floor was abnormally slippery and they immediately noticed the extreme cold temperature the room seemed to be at.

"…" Zanya groaned as she stood and walked off the door that had slammed hard against the floor almost slipping herself.

"Zan, you ok?" Sorphan asked as he treaded carefully, receiving a nod as a reply.

Quentin was still examining the room, utterly surprised. Who, what and how the hell did that room ended up like that?

"Schala!" Sorphan called out, snapping everyone from their thoughts. He rushed to the brunette SeeD's fallen form followed by his companions.

"How is she? Is she ok?" Zanya asked worriedly, standing over her as Sorphan had kneeled next to her to check her vitals.

"She's alive… though very cold…" He whispered that last part.

Schala was half lying on the frozen floor, leaning against the iced wall with her leather jacket over her chest, protecting her somewhat from the cold. Zanya began immediately to warm the area around her, using Ifrit's heat to spread around them as Sorphan prepared a healing spell that would, hopefully, snap Schala back to consciousness.

Meanwhile, Quentin, after hearing that Schala was alright, began again to look around the room. Something just didn't add up. Such cold was unnatural and it would be required a great deal and control over ice magic to leave the room in that condition, and Schala didn't seem the least bit apt to it in her state. He registered Sorphan casting a Cura as he noticed something else. There were ice bits spread all around the room, probably result of that shattering sound they heard when Zanya slammed against the door.

"Schala?" Zanya called out across the room." That wasn't enough... try another!" She continued, her voice drowned by Quentin's thoughts as he picked up one of the frozen pieces.

He stared in shock as what he had picked up looked strangely like a frozen human hand. His eyes went to the other side of the door's destructive path, to a fallen form near what seemed to have been a control consol. The shape seemed human and it was frozen solid.

Could that mean that… the shattering sound they heard was the door slamming against frozen human statues? Who or what could or would have the power to do such a thing?

"Schala!!" The louder calling snapped Quentin from his musings as he finally acknowledged the others and their attempts to awake the collapsed brunette woman.

"Is she alright?" He asked as he approached.

"I think she's coming to!" Sorphan cried out, making the elder SeeD sped his pace. "Schala, wake up!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Matron! Sis!! Come quick!!!" A child's voice was heard in the distance. "Schala's hurt!"

_Huh…?!?_ Schala wondered as the deep darkness that enveloped her thoughts started to clear, somewhat, revealing a sight long forgotten…

A stone house by the beach… with a lighthouse at a distance and a small flower field in the surroundings… Her vision focused on the backyard of the house, where the lighthouse could be seen and where the sound of the crashing waves reached her ears, and then… children's voices and hurried steps climbing the stairs from the beach to the small courtyard.

A small group of children, no more than seven and no older than five years old, reached the last step as the door to the house opened and two other persons rushed outside, an older girl around ten or eleven and a woman, whom appeared to be in her mid twenties or early thirties, who had long black hair that flowed till her waist and a simple dark dress.

"What happened?" The little, but older girl asked as she neared the young ones, verbalizing both her worries and the woman's.

The children stopped and scattered, revealing a small blond boy supporting an equally small brunette girl and helping her walk.

"Schala fell on the cliffs! She's hurt!" The boy said with concern, one that was more than evidently showing in his features.

"I'm fine." The girl stressed with annoyance and it seemed she had been trying to make the others understand that. But her determination faltered as she moved to free herself and subsequently, cringed in pain.

"Let me see." The woman started, ignoring the girl's struggle and the boy's triumphant grin.

Despite the child's insistence, she was far from "_fine_". Her left arm seemed to be dislocated and bled from a horrible gash over her elbow. That one along with the skinned knee had left a small trail of blood drops at her passage. The black haired woman, their Matron, analysed the injuries with a serious expression, under the remaining children's curious stares.

"Is she going to be alright?" another blond boy asked amidst the lot of them.

Their Matron smiled warmly, turning to face her kids.

"It's nothing serious. She's going to be just fine." She said, smiling wider as they all breathed in relief.

She looked back at the injured girl who scolded at the other kids, her expression clearly saying "_I told you so!_" and had to suppress a giggle. She then turned to the older child.

"Can you get me the first aid kit? It's in the kitchen beneath the counter." She asked the older brunette girl, who immediately nodded, stood and headed for the house after smiling warmly.

"Is Schala really going to be alright?" A shorter brunet boy asked, causing Matron to smile yet again.

"Yes, she really is." She said reassuringly. "But the injury still needs to be cleaned and treated." She added, focusing on the girl once more as she strained to place her shoulder back into its rightful place, drawing a poorly suppressed yelp of pain from the child. Luckily the dislocation had been merely partial.

"Can't yoo use magic to cure it?" Another kid asked, a red headed girl with sharp blue eyes and drawing concordant cheers from the other children.

Matron was suddenly extremely serious, silencing the kids almost immediately with her grave expression. Magic and sorcery was always a touchy subject. The door to the house was heard again as the older girl returned with a large package with a red cross on the cover, and immediately the woman realised her reaction. Her face immediately softened though it remained a conscious expression.

"I could…" She started as she received the kit, opening it and checking its contents. "But some wounds are best to heal for themselves… so we can remember and learn from them…" She added, looking down at the flowing blood and applying some pressure on it with clean cloths.

"But she'll be fine, right?" A blonde girl asked, but the woman's answer was lost…

"Schala!!" A different voice, older, louder and more familiar reached her from a distance.

Her vision began to blur then. The stone house, the beach, the children and the woman began to fade from her sight and darkness once again started to envelop her. Schala could no longer remember the details of their features, of her surroundings on the strange yet, familiar settings.

"Is she alright?" Another voice came as a teasing remembrance of her earlier vision. Everything was dark around her now as she felt herself being pulled away from the _reality_ of her dream.

"I think she's coming to." A new voice came and with it, something like a light at the end of a tunnel appeared in front of her, lighting up the darkness and calling to her.

"Schala, wake up!"

Her mind was still fussy, but the words, the voices became clearer and clearer with each calling.

"Come on, Schala!"

Slowly, her thoughts reorganized and the events prior to her passing out grew clearer in her mind.

… _I'm… fine…_ She thought, not unlike a younger version of herself, once upon a time, in an already forgotten memory.

"You OK!?" Zanya asked as Schala's stirs finally made her open her eyes, only to close them again to protect her from the cold air.

Groaning and aching, she opened her eyes again, resisting the shivers that invaded her as she grew aware of the cold temperature inside the room she was in. Her vision started to clear and she could finally recognize the faces her mind had already linked to the voices heard.

There they were… her companions, her fellow SeeDs, her… friends that came to set her free…

"How are you feeling?" Sorphan asked, still concerned but with a considerably relieved expression on his face.

"Like hell…" Schala answered, her voice sounding hoarse and alien to her.

"Only if it's a freezing hell…" Zanya commented.

"Yeah… I wonder what happened…" Quentin asked as Schala still blinked in awareness, finally looking around the room and accessing its condition.

_Everything's frozen… how…?_ She wondered, her thoughts still numb with everything that had happened. _Shiva…? Did you…?_ She reasoned, the Ice Goddess the only one she knew that could use Ice magic to such an extent.

_**She cannot hear you… **_A darker voice answered inside her mind. _**She drained herself almost to the point of extinction in order to keep you out of harm…**_ Diablos continued, his tone betraying his confusion and reprimand on the other Guardian's actions. Actions that, even if he didn't approve of… intrigued him…

_She…_ Schala started but, quite uncharacteristically, the dark creature interrupted.

_**In any case… she'll need a day or so to recover her energies…**_

Schala nodded to herself, understanding to the best of her abilities what had happened. She didn't know much, only that Shiva had had something to do with it and that she had risked herself for her. Schala would have to thank her when she regained awareness.

She didn't answer the instructor's query, even as he had made the statement almost as just a loud thought, and strained to stand, using the wall as support. As she rose, she noticed her jacket had been placed over her and that she was warm underneath it. With the state the room was still in, it seemed someone had placed it over her for warmth.

_How long have I been out…?_ She wondered as, already standing, she made to put the jacket on. As she moved to place her left arm through the corresponding sleeve, her eyes fell on the remnants of an old, faded scar over her elbow. Her thoughts returned then to the strange vision she had just before awakening, no longer able to shake the familiarity of the location and the people in it…

"Let's get the hell outta here!" Zanya's call drew her from her thoughts as the blonde martial artist pulled something long and sharp from her back and threw it at her.

Schala grabbed her gunblade in mid air, turning it in her hand with practiced expertise. Her blue-grey eyes focused on the blade's pardons, the Griever inscription. A warm and comfortable feeling enveloped her entire form as she finally felt ready to engage in another certainly perilous endeavour.

Raising her head, she simply nodded and all the teens left the room to the wide hall of the twelfth floor. The second the SeeD leader passed through the threshold, a short, reddish and furry creature all but jumped at her.

"Lanara! Lanara!" The Moomba cried out as he hugged her legs, her reflexes still considerably slow due to her earlier condition.

"Lanara?" Schala let out in surprise, her eyes wide as she stared at the furry creature that, despite somehow knowing she wasn't Lanara, she could feel some sort of connection. His cheery and plainly happy expression made her even more confused.

"What was that?" Quentin asked as the remaining SeeDs had distanced themselves, not noticing the exchange between the brunette woman and the red creature that released her almost immediately when the others came into sight.

Schala raised her head and shook her head in a "_nothing_" sign, lowering it in time to see the Moomba fleeing around a corner and out of sight. Shaking her head out that last event, she approached the instructor. She needed to be focused on escaping now and there were no simple answer to whatever it was going on with that "dream world".

"I'm really glad you're alright." Quentin stated as he had been unable to say it earlier.

He smiled amusedly seeing her nod in discomfort. The girl seemed to be still unaccustomed to companionship, but she was trying… even if she didn't realise it herself.

"So… now how do we get out of here?" Sorphan asked as they approached, him seeming to be discussing it with Zanya.

"I dunno…" She replied, apologizing with her eyes. "Wada just wandered around the facility, she never left while I was her in the dream world…" She stated, suddenly remembering something as she turned towards Schala.

"Where you just Lana in the dream world too?" She asked, receiving an affirmative nod as reply, which made her smile wider.

"Where you here? Do you know this place?" Quentin beat Zanya to the question and all three waited anxiously for her reply.

Schala didn't need to think about it or look around for her reply. She shook her head negatively gaining disappointed sighs. Where she was, what she had experienced had absolutely nothing to do with that place.

"So we're the same as we were… We don't know how to get out…" Sorphan let out in defeat. However his dark feelings didn't last as his active and cheery personality returned at full scale soon after. "So, what do we do?"

"Hmm… well…" Zanya started, attracting their attention. "Either way, we kept goin' up and up. "She stated, raising her eyes from her thoughts. "I think we better head back down."

The three just stared, surprised that it made absolute sense. They were quite unaccustomed to have the rash martial artist being so intuitive.

As they pondered on it however, Schala suddenly remembered something.

"… Where's Rian…? And Inara?" She asked, noticing the sharpshooter was also nowhere to be seen and remembering she had not seen Rian ever since his torture by Seifer.

"Inara wasn't with us. We haven't seen her since we woke up in our cell." Sorphan provided, a tinge of extra worry in his voice as he and the others suddenly remembered the two absences.

"And Rian was picked up by some soldiers an hour or so ago…" Quentin added. "We thought he had been brought to the interrogation room as well."

"He was…" Schala clarified, looking down as her mind returned to that moment and the relief in his face, and hers certainly. Expression that disappeared as Seifer began to beat him up, she recalled with a frown. "… He was tortured then carried away, I don't know where…"

The teens' faces became apprehensive. They had just recovered one of them but, once again there were two whose fate was still uncertain.

Schala kept her eyes on the floor as she wondered on her thoughts. She didn't mention Seifer for some reason not even she immediately recognized. Maybe she didn't want to relive the experience as she relayed it to the others, or maybe she just didn't want to say Seifer was just too far gone to be saved…

_Saved…? Where did that come from…?_ She thought confused, her treacherous mind replaying the moments when she was chained to the wall and he was so close. She couldn't stop but shiver as she remembered his touch, cursing herself for acting so weak then.

"Well… they didn't take him to our cell…" Sorphan stated, thinking outloud. "How can we know where they took him?" He voiced his thoughts again, searching his mind for an answer.

"There's a way!" Zanya suddenly let out, turning towards them as her face lighted up. "There's a control room on the upper level, we can check the orders and even security videos from there." She informed.

"Nice!" Sorphan let out, a big smile on his face with the anticipation of being reunited with his two missing friends.

"Good work! Let's go!" Quentin said, heading towards the only stairs on that floor that led up.

Zanya couldn't hide the deep feeling of pride that invaded her from that compliment, along with Schala's nod of approval as she followed after Quentin and Sorphan who were already on top of the stairs.

Such was her trance that she only realised they had left her behind when the sound of battle from above reached her ears.

"Hey!!" She called out, immediately rushing for the stairs, climbing the steps three at a time. "Don't hog them all for yourselves… save some for me!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The lower frame of the D-District Prison became once again, visible to the two teens in the fast approaching trucks.

"Alright!" Inara started. "We can't just bust in and get them out… we wouldn't last thirty seconds in there…" She continued, looking at Rian attentive as she psyched himself up for the matter in hands.

Disguising a smile faced with his attempt at being professional, Inara looked ahead again and added.

"When we get in there, just let me do all the talking, ok?"

"Yes." He replied, nodding and turning in his seat to check the exact location of his weapon that fortunately the guard had carried with him when he surrendered him to Inara.

"Good." She added with the smile still on her face as they were just about to enter the facility.

_Here goes nothing…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Man… they didn't even put up a fight…" Zanya wailed as she had barely a chance to use her knuckles that time, the others dispatching of the few guards and workers in the room before she could even get there.

Unfamiliar with the controls, each teen spread to a point of the room, examining several controls, though none remembering to look for the plant of the facility…

"I found the log!" Sorphan cried out and all converged to his position. After a few more clicks on the keyboard in front of him, he continued. "Hmm… Seems like Inara was never checked in the prison…" He said, examining the entry logs and then turning to the others. "What does that mean?"

The teens were struck with a variety of possibilities, each more concerning than the previous. Had she managed to escape capture? Had she ran off? Was taken to another facility? Was she… dead?

Whatever her fate one thing was for sure, she wasn't there.

"She's not here, that's what matters now…" Quentin stated, gaining an odd frown from Sorphan. "What about Rian?"

Reluctantly, Sorphan turned again to the consol and pressed more keys. After a few moments that seemed to last longer, he found it.

"Here! Looks like he was released… orders don't specify by whom, though…" He stated, keeping checking the logs as the others registered the new information.

_The Congresswoman probably had something to do with it…_ Quentin and Schala reasoned, the latter sporting a deep frown. That damn politician had had no problems in leaving them there to rot as she arranged for her son to be safe.

"Oh Hyne!" Sorphan's cry drew them all from their thoughts and back to him.

"What is it?" Zanya inquired as she was the nearest to his position and sneaked a peak over his shoulder just as he turned to them with a truly horrified expression on his face.

"They are going to launch missiles at Garden!" He all but shouted.

"WHAT?!?" Quentin and Zanya cried out, horror and surprise stamped in their faces as Schala looked down on to the ground.

She knew, but had hoped Seifer was bluffing when he told her that. To think he would actually attack the only home either of them had ever known…

"Trabia is gonna be hit first, then Balamb Garden…" Sorphan continued as he returned his attention to the screens. "The first launch is scheduled for little under two hours from now… We gotta do something!" He stressed, almost in a panic.

"Is there any way to send a message to the Gardens?" Quentin asked, approaching and looking for the communication consol.

"I don't think so, it's a closed circuit… there's no way…" Sorphan continued. "Still, there has to be something we can do!!"

Zanya's fist suddenly slammed against a wall, bending the metal considerably as the entire wall shook. Despite their surprise, it seemed to be enough to snap them all out of their panic, including her own.

"The missile base…" Schala let out under her breath, so low but loud enough to send the others' minds into overdrive.

"That's right!" Sorphan started. "If we strike at the missile base and prevent them from launching the missiles, we got a chance to save Garden!" He stressed, almost hopeful since he was the only one that had interests in both Gardens, being originally from Trabia but having already made friends in Balamb.

Relief of a possibility of salvation enveloped all of them, some hiding it better than others. Zanya looked more than relieved for it, though something else crossed her mind.

"What about Galbadia Garden?" She asked.

Quentin turned towards her, shaking his head as she looked at him confused.

"Remember what the Congresswoman said?" He started. "Sorceress Edea intends to use Galbadia Garden as her base of operations… She's probably charging through its gates as we speak…" He said with a solemn expression.

"Can't we do something?" Sorphan asked. He had only been there for a couple of hours, but they were still SeeDs and mass murder didn't suit him very well.

"Headmistress Martine must have known this was a possibility when she sent us on the assassination mission… no, even before that…" Quentin stated, voicing his inner thoughts. "Besides, the first concern of ours is to get out of here." He continued. "Now that we know Rian and Inara aren't here, we can go… we'll worry about finding them and saving Garden once we are out of this place."

Though not at all satisfied with the situation, the SeeDs could only agree with the instructor's assessment.

"Down then." Zanya started as they started to head for the descending stairs.

"It'd be a pain to go down every floor, though…" Sorphan let out with a sigh.

"Indeed…" Quentin added, noticing Schala's inquiring eyes. "The alarm alerted monsters and security guards are everywhere."

Only then did Schala realised the alarm that echoed through the halls, somehow she had locked the loud and annoying sound out of her awareness.

"… Maybe we don't have to…" Zanya started again, stopping and making the others that had kept walking to stop as well and turn to face her. "There's another way down!"

"What? Jump all the way down through the central hole?" Sorphan cut in, making everyone stare at him blankly. He looked back at them with a sarcastic expression though, them knowing the tall brunet boy as they did, they did not placed that beyond him.

"Sure, go ahead… if you want to be squished like a pancake…" Quentin felt compelled to reply. With Sorphan one never knows.

He sent a blank stare at the instructor as Zanya made to ignore the random comments and continue with her plan while it was still fresh in her head.

"No, we can use the large crane." She said, gaining curious and confused looks from the rest of them.

"There's an elevator arm, designed to remove and move around detachable cells." She proceeded to explain, turning her face towards Schala. "I'm guessing that's what they used to bring you up here."

That statement cleared a few things inside Schala's mind. It made sense. All the shaking and sounds she heard as her cell seemed to be pulled upwards were consisting with a crane lifting it. Nodding in reply, Schala motivated Zanya to continue.

"We can use it to carry us down to the lower levels. Wada did it once" She finished, a big smile on her face as her friends expressions seemed to be considering her plan.

"That might work… let's do it!" Quentin said, looking at Schala and Sorphan for their approval he immediately received.

"Alright… but they need to be activated simultaneously… someone here and someone on the cabin of the crane, to get it moving." She said, immediately returning to the room and looking for the correct control panel. "Here!"

"But… whoever stays here is left behind…" Sorphan commented, causing frustration in the others. If it was a pain for the four of them to go down every floor of the place, it was even worse for just one of them, alone.

"Not necessarily." Zanya continued, seeming her improvised plan had been thought up more deeply than it seemed.

"The crane takes a few seconds to activate and start it's descend…" Her gaze left their faces and focused on the panels. "I can activated from here, give it the command to descend then hurry down and catch it before it gets too low… besides, it isn't very fast, I can get on top of it before it goes down more than a level, I'm sure of it!" She said with conviction, turning back to face them and let them see the determination and certainty on her own face. "I just won't be able to get inside with it moving, but I'll ride on top of it, no problem!"

"Are you sure?" Schala asked after a thoughtful pause.

Zanya's eyes burned with determination Schala had never seen on her before and then she knew there was nothing she could do to make the other woman change her mind. Besides, it was the best plan they had, especially considering its source.

"Fine, we'll do it." She said and signalled the others to go, while nodding back at Zanya as she remained alone in the control room.

"I'll get it done!" The three of them could still hear her as they descended to the lower floor. They looked at the large crane for just a second before heading inside it.

As they entered it, Quentin looked around trying to familiarize himself with the controls.

"Are these the arm controls?" He wondered when a loud static noise surged from a speaker inside the cabin, making him and Sorphan almost jump from their skins.

"Yo, can you guys hear me?" Zanya's distorted voice followed the static, Schala approaching what seemed to be a microphone to answer.

"We can hear you…" She replied, cringing visibly as Sorphan almost yelled in her ears.

"Hiya Zan, loud and clear!" He shouted, his cheering dying down to an apology as Schala frowned in his direction.

"So, what do we need to do?" Quentin cut in, at a considerably lower tone than his predecessor.

"Let me see…" Zanya said between static noises. "Press the red button on the main panel…" She said and Schala, having located it first, pressed it.

The cabin shook for a few seconds before it started to move, gaining speed slowly.

"Alright, done!" Sorphan replied, again loudly.

"Done here too…" Zanya replied. "On my way!" She shouted, her voice considerably lower in those last words as it seemed she was already away from the consol.

A few seconds after the crane began to descend at a constant speed and as they could already see the lower floor from the windows, a loud thud sounded above them, signalling Zanya had landed.

The crane continued it's descend, passing through a couple more levels. When they reached the one that seemed to be the ninth or eighth, Sorphan face grew weary.

"We got company!" He cried out as that level had some soldiers on it that turned in surprise to the crane's activities.

The men immediately pulled their rifles up, aiming and shooting at the cabin. By instinct, its occupants lowered their heads for protection. But no glass shattered as it seemed it was bullet proof. Even so, the soldiers kept firing.

One thought crossed the three teens' minds as they called out in unison.

"Zanya!!!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The silver truck entered the D-District prison without much resistance. In fact, with absolutely no resistance at all as there was not a soul in sight. The parking lot and the check point were void of any activity and, though finding it rather strange, Inara parked her vehicle all the same, next to a yellow armoured military truck and the closest to the exit as she could find.

"Where is everyone?" Rian wondered as he stepped out of the car, looking around the room for any sign of life. Finding none, he picked up Cardinal from the back and strapped it in his back. There was no point in hiding if there was no one to hide from.

Inara exited the car as well, supporting Valiant on her shoulder as she closed the door. There was a frown on her face as she confirmed there was indeed no one around. After a moment's pause, Inara's frown disappeared and she shrugged and smiled.

"Well… this is gonna be easier than I thought…" She stated, gaining Rian's eyes on her.

"Don't you think it's weird?" He asked her, thinking that it could be a trap, but she again shrugged.

"Well, sure I do." She simply replied. "But who am I to deny a break when we finally get one, huh?" She added smiling.

Rian could hardly believe a hardcore elite mercenary could make such a statement under those conditions and he stared in disbelieve.

"C'mon Rian!" She continued as she moved past him to the access path. "You're the one who wanted to save them, right? Let's take this break and hurry before they change their minds." She added and rushed through the corridor.

Well, there was no denying that and, faced with the situation, Rian shrugged and followed the red headed sharpshooter through the corridor and into the elevator that would give them access to the higher levels. The parking lot was at the ground level of the buried facility, but they had to go up a couple of floors to reach the wide catwalk that connected the drills.

The elevator stopped at the top floor and the doors opened. Some guards were in the arriving room and, alarmed for the lack of warning, pulled their weapons and got ready to shoot the newcomers. When the doors opened, however, they didn't see anyone. The men looked among themselves in confusion, one that intensified as they all got suddenly extremely sleepy and soon collapsed onto the floor.

Two heads peaked from both sides of the elevator, looking at the fallen soldiers.

"That's a neat trick." Inara commented as they left their hiding place into the room.

"Yeah, thank Siren for that one." Rian replied with a smile.

Resuming their path, the two teens crossed the room, passing through the opened blast doors back to the outside of the compound. The harsh and dry desert air stung their eyes as they stood at the edge of the longest and widest catwalk they'd ever seen.

Rian was stunned with the sheer sight of it, and this was when when they were merely ten metres off the ground. According to Inara, the structure was now buried to allow entrance, but it was usually almost one hundred metres high.

"Let's go, we should hurry before we're noticed." Inara stressed, snapping Rian of his musings and both ran across the platform, taking but a minute to reach the other end. Arriving there finally, they proceeded with extra caution as they passed through a new set of blast doors that gave them entrance to the second prison structure.

The second they were out of the outside environment and into the confinement of the metal walls, a loud screeching and monotonous sound reached their ears. It sounded awfully like an alarm and both tensed, growing alert and expecting a wave of soldiers to fall on them. But that didn't happen.

"What happened? Did we trip an alarm?" Rian asked as he turned to Inara, confusion evident in his expression as his hands held Cardinal firmly.

"Not sure…" She stated, holding her shotgun steady as she neared a panel on the wall. After pressing a couple of buttons, she turned to Rian with a grin on her face.

"Guess you were right." She stated, confusing him as she turned fully. "It's not the invaders' alarm, but the escapees'." She clarified with a wide smile as Rian grew one of his own.

The SeeDs had been busy, it seemed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Woah!!" Zanya let out as she ducked for cover, using the frame of the top of the crane as protection against the rain of gunfire that showered over her on every floor they passed through.

It wasn't easy though. By her calculations, they should be passing through the sixth floor and the guards, unfortunately smarter than they seemed, had spread around the entire floor and were firing at her from all sides. She wouldn't last long if that continued.

A particular shot scratched her leg and she groaned, losing her balance and slipping to the side of the crane as she barely hung out the frame of the cabin. Through the glassed windows, she could see the horrified faces of her fellow SeeDs, especially when she had to release her hands to escape a new round of bullets.

The three teens screamed out her name but went unheard on the outside. They could only stare as she fell on the level's floor, rolling on her landing and preparing to face off the wave of soldiers, monsters and mechanical suits that stormed her way. Schala tried to force the door open but it was as Zanya had said, the door wouldn't open with the crane moving and they had no idea how to make it stop. They couldn't just start pressing buttons at random, as much as Sorphan seemed willing to.

The few minutes it took for the crane to reach the last floor were practically unbearable. It stopped with a violent shake and the doors opened with a loud _swiff_ soon after. Before any of the others could even think on acting, Schala all but jumped out of the cabin, landing steadily on the ground a couple of metres below, her hand gripping Revolver furiously.

"Schala!" The others rushed for the exit but as they looked beneath them, the girl was already practically out of sight, running towards a set of stairs leading upwards.

"Wait for us!" Sorphan called out, too late for her to have heard him as he jumped down followed by Quentin.

Both young men still spared a look to the opposite side of the surprisingly small hall that characterised what they believed to be the exit of the prison facility but that lasted less than a second before they both ran after their leader up the stairs.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Gunfire echoed within the metallic walls as Zanya ran, jumped and rolled under and over the fired rounds. Ever since she was forced to jump off the crane, her life had been everything but easy. Soldiers everywhere, monsters and other soldiers on mechanical suits stormed from everywhere and she hadn't had one second to recover her breath.

She sped up, jumping over a Wendigo and landing on a soldier on the other end. She kicked and punched, knocking out two other guards but soon about five took their place. She had just managed to descend two floors when, just as she went over the last steps, she was tripped and rolled uncontrollably over the floor.

"Ouch!!" She groaned as she fell and immediately she felt someone falling on her.

"I got her, I got her!!" A soldier called out, having jumped over her and attempting to restrain her to the ground.

Easier said than done, though…

"You got _WHO_?!" Zanya rose, completely throwing the man off of her. She scoffed. Who did he think he was dealing with? But her victory was short lived as three soldiers stood in her way. She was growing tired of all the running.

As the soldiers charged at her, she moved to dispose of them but a moment of distraction made her lose her pace and got hit. Even so, she still managed to defeat them but other ten stepped in immediately.

They knocked her to the ground, attacking her with sticks and the tip of their riffles, even status ailments were cast on her to keep her down and secured.

"Damn, she's a handful." One of the guards let out, kicking her in the stomach when she tried to stand, grabbing his leg.

"Seems you aren't getting away today, SeeD." Another said with such disdain, hitting Zanya with a stick as she was down, gaining a loud groan from her.

_There's just too many of them…_ Zanya thought. Usually these soldiers wouldn't even pose a fight, but all alone against a horde of them… there were limits.

"Let's just kill her." One of the soldiers suggested and he wasn't contested.

The men turned her around violently. She groaned as they aimed their rifles right at her face.

"You bastards…" She let out between clenched teeth, cursing in her head in all ways imaginable. In such a confined area, she wouldn't dare to summon Ifrit, the whole structure would come crashing on top of her.

She narrowed her eyes, refusing to show fear as she waited for it, as she knew there were nothing to stand in between her and certain death… to think her life would be over this easily…

Or would it be…?

The hurried sound of footsteps went unnoticed by the guards and Zanya as someone climbed up the stairs with extreme speed. Skimming in the last steps, whoever it was, was getting closer.

"DIE!!!" One of the guards yelled as he cocked his weapon, motion followed by the remaining of the execution squad.

What happened next was very quick, almost too quick for human eyes to follow.

There was a flash of silver crossing the air, a spurt of deep crimson blood flowed in the air, screams of both surprise and agonizing pain… something dark and fast moving through the soldiers like a hurricane…

And in a few seconds, it was over. Everyone was down except for one. Zanya's mind took a moment to absorb everything that happened, her eyes fixed on the only, the last one standing.

"Didn't think they'd go down that easy." Her usual emotionless voice echoed in the sudden silence caused by her swift slaughter, now showing a bit of relief and concern as she tore her deep greyish-blue eyes from the corpses to focus on the still fallen blonde woman.

Zanya's eyes darted from the dead men to Schala's, her face more than welcome. It was the second time – which she could recall vividly, at least – that she had been the one to save her more directly. That time in the communication tower in Dollet when she was almost thrown off the structure and now. Both moments where death seemed unavoidable and she's snatched her from her dire predicament.

The deep thankful feeling invading her was too strong to be put into words.

"T-Thanks!" Zanya still tried to relay it, receiving simply a nod and a dismissive wave of her hand. She didn't take it personally, Schala wasn't comfortable with thanks and compliments.

Still Zanya felt it wasn't enough… she still felt that anguish of her near death experience. She had to say more, she had to do more.

Her body moved by instinct, by the need to truly be thankful for her life. She launched herself to the other woman's waist, placing her arms around it as she held her in an iron grip.

"W-What!?" Schala let out in surprise, too stunned to react to the woman's deranged action.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! Schala, thank you so much!" She wailed, still grabbing her by the waist and making the gunblader more than uncomfortable.

"Let go!" Schala asked, no… ordered as the situation was getting out of hand. But her request only made the woman grip on tighter, almost making Schala lose her balance.

Schala tried in vain to release herself from her, but her much more muscular and strong arms refused to be pried loose. _What is wrong with her…?_ Schala couldn't help but wonder and at that moment she thought she heard a muffled chuckle from somewhere in her mind. She shook it off. The only conscious entity in her mind was Diablos and she couldn't imagine him amused… unless a massacre was involved, that is.

As the martial artist still refused to let go, Schala started entertaining the thought of using her gunblade as a prying lever. The thought about killing Zanya just so she'd get off of her was starting to appeal to her more and more, but she resisted it. It seemed silly to her to have rushed all the way there to save her just to be the one to kill her herself. Just a little silly…

"Get off." Her voice sounded now without a hint of hesitation, surprise or any other feeling except for warning.

Even Zanya was smart enough as to fail to pick up on that. A second later she had released the other woman and stumble back to her feet, a look of shame and apology in her face.

It was then that, again, the sound of hurried footsteps became audible, seemingly coming from the floors below. Zanya tensed in anticipation of a new battle but hesitated as Schala appeared unconcerned.

Even though she had rushed on her will to help Zanya, the brunette gunblader had made sure that the lower levels presented no more danger, at least till reinforcements could arrive. So, the rushing people they could hear approaching could only be two.

Her assumption was confirmed and Zanya's pose relaxed considerably as the two male SeeDs climbed the last steps, finally becoming visible.

"Sorphan! Quentin!" Se called out in relief and joy that them too had come for her. She was never happier to see them.

However, and though they seemed obviously happy she was alright as well, the blond instructor sported a thoughtful expression as an uncharacteristic frown adorned the tall brunet.

"Schala, you didn't have to rush off on your own. You could have waited for us." He simply stated. _Damn, she's faster than I thought. _He added in thought. They both had to run at their max to follow her and even so she left them well behind. She didn't even seem out of breath.

Schala just rolled her eyes, ignoring his accusation with a shrug while staring off without paying them too much attention. Not even she knew exactly what had compelled her to act like that. It was as if her body had a mind of its own, just like it happened a few days ago in the Training Centre. Back then she had run off to save the mysterious woman with her mind barely registering what was going on. It had been the same now. Of course she would never admit that out loud.

"Is Zan really that important to you?" Sorphan's next question dragged a different reaction from just about all of them, as innocent as it might have sounded.

Schala was more than surprised, surprise wouldn't even begin to describe how she registered his words. _She _cared about Zanya? How…? Why!? Why would she care so much? She didn't care about anything except becoming stronger to survive on her own, being able to take care of herself. Why? Oh Hyne, why did she now seem to care so much to keep her companions alive? Wasn't she better off alone?

Unsure on how to answer her inner turmoil, she turned to see the others' reactions to Sorphan's words. She frowned and looked immediately away as she detected the amusement in Quentin's expression. An apparent joy that he had picked up one more piece of the _Schala Puzzle_, that he was figuring out the _complex _personality she claimed to have.

She focused on Zanya next and she almost preferred to have stayed with Quentin. Her face was smug, proud and cocky. She appeared to have taken the tall brunet man's words quite literally and was now, probably, dazzling herself with thoughts that she might like her. Schala directed an annoyed glare through narrowed eyes she missed completely since the blonde martial artist wasn't even looking at her.

With the same scowl in her face, Schala turned to the responsible for her annoyance, yes because she wasn't particularly embarrassed, she was annoyed going for angry. However she didn't have time to ponder on his reaction or intentions as a wave of gunfire came at them from the other end of the hall.

The teens immediately ducked under the raised protections the railings of the central cavity presented, crawling as to stay out of range of the deadly projectiles. Sorphan sneaked a peak, immediately lowering his head, almost hitting his forehead on the metallic grating. Seemed a squad of soldiers had come from the higher levels and were engaging at full force. They could all hear more movement from above, starting to fear they could be soon overwhelmed.

"Is there another way to get out of here?" Quentin asked as everyone had joined in the same spot, all of them slightly hesitant on what to do.

None of them were in possession of ranged weapons, giving the far away gunmen the advantage. All they had were their spells, but with so many firing on them they couldn't get a break to aim at their targets.

Parting with the weapon problem, Zanya answered Quentin, shaking her head in the process.

"The only way in or out of the levels are the access stairs…" She explained.

A wary look passed by the teens' expressions. The access stairs were precisely on the other side of the hall, and between them and the stairs, there were at least twenty to thirty soldiers, each with itching trigger fingers. On top of that, they weren't completely stupid and took firing at them in turns, giving the rest time to reload their weapons without giving them a break.

"I think we're ignoring the big elephant in the room." Sorphan commented, gaining extremely surprised and wondering eyes on him. "Or should I say hole?" He elaborated, clarifying some of the faces in the room.

Indeed there was the large cavity, but even if they could avoid being hit as they leaped over the railings, what was there to stop them getting squished like a pancake? There were long and thick cables running all the way from the top that held the crane, but reaching them required a run up out in the open, they'd be easy targets. Even if they were to leap and attempt to land on the lower floor, they'd still be sitting, in this particular case, _falling_ duck. It was too risky and the dismissal of Sorphan's suggestive words reflected on the remaining teens' faces.

A new wave of gunfire passed over their heads, causing them to lower their heads further. And then each face earned a new expression, curiously the same one, the same insane possibility they had immediately discarded not five seconds before was the course they were considering to take.

But as they stared at each other, starting to consider the how to do it, a different sound reached their ears. Screams, tumbles and a strangely familiar _**whoosh**_ sound. They all looked up with widened eyes in time to see a large red blur pass over their heads and over the centre hole, go all the way to the other part of the room in a slight circular route, execute a harsh U-turn and make a return pass over their heads.

Then a new sound as the repetitive echo of gunfire seemed to turn the other way. This one seemed harder, louder and stronger, like it came from a different type of weapon. But there was another thing that marked the appearance of the two new sounds and the teens exchanged a look as they all realised it. The giant red blur made another pass and by then the SeeDs' plan was clear.

They all stood as a new wave of gunfire was directed the other way. At first, Sorphan and Quentin stayed where they were, accessing their magic storages and launching spells at the distracted soldiers as Schala and Zanya ran over the thick railings, readying their gunblade and knuckles and landing heavily on the soldiers. They parted ways, little over a dozen now and were quickly dispatched. The few that tried to run up the stairs again collapsed heavily back onto the floor after a couple of – what seemed to be – shotgun blasts.

The four teens stared at the staircase, waiting curiously un-alarmed as whoever had disposed of the soldiers, and provided an opportune distraction, descended the steps. They could already hear the sound of footsteps and the first thing that came into their line of sight was a pair of red cowgirl boots.

"Howdy!" Inara's voice resonated in the now silent floor.

She looked exactly as the last time any of them had seen her. Same clothes, same attitude though she now sported a smug expression, oddly mixed with relief.

"Why you…" Zanya growled between her teeth and before anyone could react, she was across the hall, pushing the red headed sharpshooter against the wall by her throat.

Inara was shocked, her hands over the blonde martial artist's defensively, but as she too verified, the girl's strength clearly surpassed her own, even with the Brothers screaming in her mind. The others didn't react immediately, too stunned by Zanya's abnormal hostility, perhaps. But they also didn't have time to say anything as someone else intervened.

"Zanya, wait!" A new familiar voice reached them, making the four SeeDs – Inara was too preoccupied with breathing – look at the stairs attentively as the owner of the voice rushed down the steps.

"Let her go, she's here to help!" Rian emphasized, resting his hand on the martial artist's trembling shoulders. "We're both here to spring you out." He continued calmly as Inara attempted to say something, certainly in agreement. A soft smile suddenly adorned his features. "Though I see you don't seem to need much help with that after all."

Zanya finally relaxed a bit, cracking a smile of her own in an "_Obviously!_" kind of answer. She released the other woman, though not gently, Inara sliding to the floor to catch her breath, and turned toward Rian. Her words were, however, too slow as Sorphan beat her to it.

"Rian! I'm so glad you're ok!" The tall brunet young man cheered, stepping closer, Quentin nodding behind him.

"Sorry to get you worried." He replied with a shy smile as his eyes found the ones he was truly looking for.

His chocolate browns locked on her stormy blue as relief washed over him. She was alive. After the last time he saw her, he had reason to have his doubts. Of course as the two of them, him and Inara, stormed the interrogation room to retrieve her and found it in the condition it was in, a flash of hope crossed through them, believing she was alright. Still seeing her there with his own eyes, standing straight and strong, was much better than hoping. Certainty always was.

"Of course." Inara said, standing up still leaning against the wall for support, her voice not even showing the stress she had just been through. "With me taking care of him, he had to be fine." She said with a smile, one that soon faded as three pairs of incriminating eyes fell on her.

"What do you mean… by that…" Zanya was the one to ask, making Inara flinch as she still remembered the other woman's grip on her throat.

"I… ahmm…" She staggered but Rian spared her… or crucified her, it's a matter of opinion.

"My mot… The Congresswoman pulled some strings… of her wallet, mostly…" Rian stated, his voice detached of any warm intonation as he referred his mother, except perhaps a hint of revulsion. "Only she instructed that me, and only me was to be released…" The hint suddenly wasn't so faint as he started to tremble with anger.

His words confirmed what Quentin and Schala had suspected. Congresswoman Caraway really did arrange for the release of her one and only son. Though her true reasons weren't clear inside the teens´ minds at the moment.

Rian didn't say anything else, sparing Inara any other explanation or accusation, to which she was forever grateful. She now regretted her hesitation, her doubts and the fact she was truly going to leave her friends behind. It stung at her heart every time she thought about it, but she couldn't help the masochistic will to keep reminding it to herself.

She smiled at them with a deep and meaningful apologetic smile that seemed to reach the most of them. Quentin and Sorphan's expressions softened as did Zanya's, but less as her face remained heavy with annoyance. Inara hesitated standing too close of her, unsure if the woman wouldn't hang her against the wall again. Schala, she couldn't be sure. Her face remained emotionless. That was getting kind of frustrating, actually.

All their thoughts and emotions came to a halt as suddenly they were again under attack. A cry from the large pit called their attention as a group of soldiers rappelled down to their level, either directly behind them or to the other side. Inara automatically raised her shotgun, shooting two of them down before they could land and another one that had just stood by the railings. Quentin and Schala, that were closest to the edge of the hole, dispatched a couple more but the others began firing, forcing them to take cover as they could hear a new battalion storming from the room above.

"Damn it." Zanya cursed under her breath. She didn't like to be pinned down, and they were certainly between a rock and a hard place… that had been happening to her a lot lately.

Schala narrowed her eyes, unsure of what was going on. She thought they had already got rid of everyone above them and the only access should be from the ground floor. Why were they enemies coming from above?

A few soldiers came from the upper stairs, surprising Rian for a second but Sorphan and Zanya immediately fell on them, fighting them off.

"We have to get out of here…" Schala said under her breath, though it reached everyone even under the heavy noise on«f gunfire echoing within their metallic surroundings.

"Agreed." Inara said as she kneeled next to her, reloading her weapon. "You go up and clear the way, I'll hold them back and cover your _six_." She instructed more than suggested, rising briefly to shoot up a couple more soldiers, hitting a new soldier that had just rappelled almost on top of her. His screams echoed all through his fall down the pit.

"Up?" Schala wondered surprised. Weren't they supposed to be going down?

Inara lowered, needing to reload again.

"Yes, up." Schala's confused eyes demanded some elaboration. "Look, this place is buried underground!" She explained, only making the eyes of the ones that heard her, except Rian, to widen in surprise and intense confusion.

A new wave of bullets rained over their barely shielded heads.

"I don't have time to explain now!" She all but screamed. "Just trust me!"

Inara's bright cobalt eyes stared at Schala's, almost begged her, hoping that her actions could not go without repentance.

Despite her better judgment, Schala nodded. Something in the red headed sharpshooter's eyes reflected an honesty unseen before. Schala felt like she could trust her now, for the first time since she had laid eyes on her.

"Alright." Inara replied, a look of relief and calmness invading her completely. The happy feeling was gone in an instant as a bullet ricocheted two centimetres off her head.

"Take Rian and another one, he knows the way and you'll be able to clear the way up for the rest of us." She added, focused on the battle once more.

Schala nodded again, adding an "Ok." as the woman was too preoccupied with the battle at hand. Quentin, having heard the most of the conversation, took Schala's place near Inara, fending off the soldiers that came around the cavity's perimeter to try a melee approach.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, cracking his whip and tripping a couple of soldiers off the railing and onto a big fall.

"Of course." She replied with a smile, her voice more than clear but Quentin picked up her meaning all the same.

He shook his head. What was he going to do with these people?

Meanwhile, Schala had sneaked across the hall, as low and fast as she could. Reaching the stairs where Rian, Zanya and Sorphan were fending off more soldiers, she laid her hand over the latter and signalled the others by the railings. Understanding her silent order, the tall brunet man nodded and made her inverse path to the railings.

Schala stepped forward, dispatching the soldiers Sorphan was fighting as the others took care of the rest.

"Let's go." She told the others, Rian turning to face her. "You know the way out?" She added, focusing in his eyes.

"I think so." He replied after a moment's pause. Staring at her deep blue-grey eyes was always disconcerting.

"Ok, let's go." She ordered and the three started to advance up the stairs, pushing the lines of the – now – few soldiers that stormed from the upper levels.

Just like before, the men weren't much of a fight, even with the less experienced fighter in the group. Their advance was constant and steady, eliminating every soldier and monster in their long path upwards.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The shotgun fire echoed in the hall, catching one more soldier as the other was barely able to duck for cover. A nunchaku slammed hard against the faces of two guards as a whip cracked, catching the last soldier that had been able to evade their attacks, throwing him off the edge.

The three teenagers breathed in relief. There had almost ten minutes since the others started their ascent and it had taken that long to dispatch the soldiers that had came at them. No more reinforcements came after that.

"Finally…" Sorphan sighed, stretching his aching muscles.

"They were quite a lot, weren't they?" Quentin commented, walking around seemingly aimlessly.

"Oh well, nothing we couldn't handle." Inara added with a smile, avoiding the others faces. "Our turn to boogie now!" She stated and headed for the stairs.

"Alright, let's go!" Sorphan cheered but Quentin didn't seem to chare his enthusiasm.

They had to climb all the way up?!? It was at least eight storeys up and he hadn't stopped to catch a breath since their escape. Wasn't there any other way?

"Let's go…" Inara started but the near sound of grinding metal from above cut her off. By her calculations and knowing their skill, Schala and the others should be just about reaching the top and that sound came from much closer, like a couple of floors above them. Frowning, she turned to the others but their expressions were just as confused as hers.

"What was that?" Sorphan asked and his answer came in the form of an angry snarl. "That doesn't sound good…" He commented after a moment's silence.

The teens' gazed at each other as the sound of movement from above increased. The footsteps felt muffled and disorganized, rushed and hostile and the continuance of growls and snarls made them think that maybe there wasn't soldiers that just came at them.

"Monsters?" Quentin wondered, his face no longer confused but serious. _They must be getting desperate to not let us escape…_

There was a loud growl in response and it was all they needed.

"Looks like it…" Inara pondered. "So, up is out… but I don't know of any other exit…" Inara stated, controlling her feeling of helplessness and fighting the panic that threatened to overcome her.

The monster noises from above intensified and seemed to grow closer.

"We have the arm." Sorphan suddenly stated, looking at the others. "We can use it to go back up!" He suggested.

"Oh, honey you're so smart!" Inara cheered and was about to throw herself into his arms, were it not for Quentin's interruption.

"But we can't operate it. The crane will only move through the command of the control room." He said, making Sorphan's face fall in disappointment.

"No worries." Inara simply stated, refusing to let that little detail tear her down just as the growls grew closer and closer. "Leave that to me." She added with a mischievous smile, leading the others to believe she had a contingency plan.

"Let's go down to go up!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala, Zanya and Rian finally reached the top floor, the latter breathing a bit heavier. It had been a long climb even if the amount of opposition diminished considerably. They crossed the hall up the stairs to the control room, the only real exit from that floor and halted on top of them.

"Where to?" Zanya asked confused and a bit frustrated. They had been there less than half an hour before. If only they'd known that was the exit they could be home free. She cursed under her breath for not having known that through Wada's eyes.

"It's through that door!" Rian pointed to the opposite wall where a pair of high blast doors stood, now partially opened contrary to how they'd been the last time the others were there. "There's a hallway that leads us outside." He added. There wasn't much more to it anyway. There were no corners nor obscure passageways, it was straight forward towards the exit.

Schala nodded as she made for the appointed door, the others following close behind. They were almost past it when a loud static noise from behind caught her attention and the squad leaded stopped immediately.

"Hey Schala, can you hear me?" A familiar female voice sounded, distorted by the speakers but recognizable enough to make Schala and the others turn around and back into the room.

"Hey! Hey, c'mon!" She continued, the teens looking around the room looking for the panel that would allow them to answer.

Zanya headed immediately for the controls for the crane.

"This is what you were talking about?!" Quentin's exasperated tone was obvious even through the static. "They can be long gone by now!"

Zanya fumbled with a few buttons as the other two stepped closer.

"Oh c'mon, no way they'd leave us behind!" Inara added with confidence. There was silence for a moment and the teens in the control room could just about imagine the pair of accusation stares the sharpshooter was getting.

"Don't hold your panties in a twist, we're still here." Zanya's said, trying in vain to disguise her amusement.

"See! I told you we'd be alright." Inara replied, though the relief was more than evident in her voice, making Schala roll her eyes.

"Hey, think you can give us a hand here?" Inara continued, this time speaking directly to the com device since her voice came a bit clearer.

"If I must… Zanya snickered, pressing some more buttons. "Just press the red button." She instructed.

"Red button…" Inara hesitated, probably wondering which exactly what button to press.

"This one!" Sorphan's voice sounded as he seemed to press the right button, a light on Zanya's panel lighting up and confirming it. He probably remembered which button was from their last voyage on the arm.

"Oh sweet" Inara cheered. "We'll be there in a bit." She continued after a little pause. "Oh Sorphan, you're so smart!"

The teens cringed as those words were heard more distant than before. They could also imagine how Inara would turn around and head straight for Sorphan awkward arms. They could actually visualise him stiffen with her advances. They could almost hear Quentin sigh in disbelieve.

"Doesn't this thing go any faster…?" They heard the low tone through the speakers, followed by a heavy sigh.

Rian laughed "Looks like they'll be just fine." He stated, though Schala didn't react more than a raised eyebrow as Zanya's eye twitched a bit.

"Let's see if the way is clear." Schala started and once again headed for the door Rian had indicated.

Rian followed right after her, Zanya falling a bit behind to check if everything was in order with the crane's controls before stalking off. She would probably not care much about Inara's fate, but there was also Sorphan and Quentin to consider.

They reached and crossed the corridor past the doors in silent alert. It wasn't beyond the Galbadians to prepare an ambush in the only exit of the prison facility. It was in fact, very stupid for them not to do so.

As they were nearing the end of the corridor, which wasn't as long as to be expected, the sun light became visible as it crossed the badly closed doors. The sense of impending freedom flowed through Zanya as she walked the last steps with a big grin on her face.

At first the light blinded them as they stopped just past the heavy armoured doors. Schala stood in special attention as her eyes adjusted and the still, hot air registered in her senses.

"OHHHH YEAHHH!!! We're out, baby!!!" Zanya cheered, running a bit ahead without concern of being attacked. Recklessly, Schala would say.

"Wow, take in all this…" She paused as her eyes finally adjusted and she saw exactly what she was surrounded by. "… desert fresh air…?" Her shoulders slumped slightly, then her eyes widened.

Faced with her sudden fall of enthusiasm, Schala and Rian approached the blonde martial artist's position.

"W-W-What the hell is this!?" Her cry carried, almost making Rian jumped as he now stood right next to her.

They all looked around an immediately understood her reaction. They were a good seventy metres above ground, at least. They were all utterly confused.

"We can't possibly get out this way!" Zanya wailed before turning towards Rian for an explanation. She stopped herself in time. The young man seemed thoughtful and not particularly confused.

"Damn…" He let out, his attention suddenly drawn to the two SeeDs as they stared at her with questioning eyes. After a moment, he explained.

"This is the highest security facility in Galbadian territory. It is usually almost completely buried underground, but it often rises above it making it impenetrable…" He stopped for a moment, continuing soon after. "It was down when Inara picked me up and when we returned to get you… the alarm must have triggered its ascent."

The two women looked at him in understanding. This place must have a hell of a suspension system for them not to have felt the entire structure move. In any case, there were more pressing matters.

"Is there anyway we can make it go back down?" Zanya asked, her eyes hopeful.

"I don't know." He replied to their unfortune.

Schala remained silent, looking over the railings at the massive triple drill structure, her expression in a thoughtful frown.

"What are you thinking?" Rian asked, obviously to her since the two of them seemed oblivious on what to do next.

"The central drill should be where the main systems are…" She said out loud, more to herself than to them. "It might be where the controls for the drills are… We may be able to overwrite it." She said, now evidently meant for them as she turned to face them.

After a moment's thought and hesitation, Rian and Zanya nodded in agreement, figuring it was their best bet.

Schala took one step on the wide catwalk and an intense buzzing reached over to them.

"Prisoners may not go beyond this point. You will be terminated." Static riddled twin voices echoed in the structure as the buzzing seemed to fly close over their heads.

Closer than they'd like even, as it barely gave them time to react. They just jumped back as two heavy humanoid machines not landed but hovered just above the catwalk. The mechanical beasts looked more like two men wearing oversized armours, each with thin wings and rockets on their legs to allow flight. Once the purple armours were stable, from the top of one of them a soldier in a red and black uniform, much like Biggs was wearing earlier, leaped and landed, clumsily, in the middle of the two machines.

"You're not goin' anywhere!" The soldier said, loud and confident.

The teens exchanged a look, Rian's slightly concerned but the others didn't seem too bothered by the rude interruption. Schala and Zanya focused, standing in a battle stance as Rian followed up after them after a moment's hesitation.

"Hah, this is gonna be fun!" The soldier laughed loudly. "Attack!" He ordered and immediately, the two robots charged forward, but the teens were ready for them.

Schala rolled to the side, bringing her blade up and slashing at the side leg when the robot was too close to change its trajectory. She didn't stop there as the damaged metallic beast screeched into a U-turn and returned at her. She launched her free hand forward, murmuring a "Thundara!" that rocked the beast in its place. Then it was Schala's time to charge.

Zanya had a different approach but so did her opponent. The GIM52A stood where it was, raising a thin part of its helmet armour and seeming to aim it at the teen. Zanya jumped to the side even before the point of the weapon lightened, firing a thin red beam where the girl had just stood. The robot turned, following the swift blonde around the platform with its lasers but she was too fast to allow a hit. As it changed its strategy, Zanya took her chance to charge but a Fira cast right in front of her caused her to leap back with almost scorched eyebrows.

She turned with a glare at the elite soldier that tested her patience, distracted enough that she didn't register the robot's actions. Its chest opened revealing two launch pipes and in seconds there was an explosion within them. Two missiles were then propelled forward, straight at the surprised teen. Before they could reach her, a red blur flew past her, passing in between the missiles and altering their trajectory. They shook and, from the air dislocation, collided against each other, the explosion rocking the structure while filling it with smoke.

.

Schala almost lost her footing as the floor trembled under her. Almost. Even as the now recovered robot charged at her again, she expertly rolled out of the way again and slashed another part of the robot off. The GIM52A slowed with the damage, trembling and malfunctioning as it threw sparks all over the place. The earlier electric charge also wasn't helping its circuitry as it was now almost completely fried. It trembled and tried to move and didn't even register Schala's slow but alert approach. The brunette looked at the machine that crept without any possible chance of repair and placed her hand over it. The Thundara rocked in and all around the machine, stopping it permanently just as a second explosion rocked the platform.

.

The soldier ducked under the thrown weapon, missing being hit by millimetres as the weapon turned around for another pass. Meanwhile, the robot had pinpointed the location of the other target and zeroed in on Rian, opening its chest again for a new attack. Before it could fire, something jumped from the smoke, gripping to the side of the armour as it moved closer to the missile launchers. The robot shook Zanya off and she gladly jumped away, landing with a roll and covering her head. Her actions had good reason. Without it noticing, Zanya had placed a part of the damaged metallic structure and nudged it in its chest, preventing the launch of new missiles which had nowhere to blow out to.

The GIM52A exploded with a loud bang, throwing debris all over them. Zanya grinned as Rian half rose to catch Cardinal on its return flight. The two looked to the side as the smoke cleared and Schala was standing over the other fallen machine. She didn't even break a sweat.

The same couldn't be told of the man on the platform as he was already running away, fearing the ones that had destroyed the two powerful twin robots. The teens didn't even share a glance before they started their pursuit, the man already too far for any magic attempt.

The soldier was already on the other side when the SeeDs reached the middle and the structure trembled ever so slightly. Schala, who had been the farthest and so was running behind the others seemed to have been the only one to feel it as she stopped in the middle of the platform and neared the side railings with wary concerned eyes. Strange sounds and unexpected trembles were never a good thing.

She looked down as the others were almost at the other end and she could have sworn she saw something on the large drill structure move. Only when then did Rian notice she was not following. He stopped and turned back, his eyes catching her by the side of the catwalk. The wind blew forcefully then, a thick hot air that ascended from below them. He barely noticed Zanya stopping more ahead, staring at the both of them in confusion.

"What?" She questioned but was too surprised to press the matter. Suddenly Schala started to run, and run fast. The whole structure shook this time and the two of them had to hold on to keep from falling down. Schala kept running and the two of them soon found out why.

The catwalk behind her started to collapse, down the middle but it was almost like it was recoiling. Whatever the case, the ground was literally, falling under her feet. Zanya dragged Rian on to the other side, off the catwalk and into firm platform despite his struggle.

"Stay here Rian!" She said, all but ordered. "She'll get here in time, she's fast." She told him and he stopped, Zanya keeping a firm arm on him just in case. She'd hate to have to go after him.

Schala kept running, she was just five metre off the platform but the collapsing tiles were already at her heals. Before she ended up with no floor under her, she jumped still three metres off. Thank Hyne for GF enhancements, her jump was high and long and she landed with a roll on the other side, Zanya and Rian breaking way for her.

Now she was breathing heavily, struggling to keep it under control as she stood. The others were already at her side.

"You ok? Quite a jump there." Zanya cheered, tapping her in the back strongly that almost sent her back to the ground.

Rian was just relieved, once again. That woman never stopped amazing him.

Just as the catwalk receded completely, the structure shook more and more. Without the others realising – except Schala, that was the reason why she started running – the drills had activated and were now halfway buried in the sand. A few minutes passed and something like a sandstorm lifted and spread for a good half kilometre in all directions. After that, everything was still.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright! Free at last!" Zanya cheered, stretching her hard worked muscles as the six teenagers entered the garage.

It hadn't been hard knocking the remaining soldiers on the main drill's control room and once they were done, Inara, Sorphan and Quentin caught up, the tall brunet man with shocking face, walking ahead to keep a safe distance from the red headed sharpshooter.

"Ok, let's just get outta here…" Sorphan let out, receiving concordant nods from the others.

There were surprisingly still a lot of vehicles in the prison's parking lot. It seemed that with the break out, no guard managed to get away. The SeeDs and Rian walked over to the closer cars to the exit, Inara heading straight for the truck she'd brought in. it was a military truck and it should be able to carry all of them without being too cramped, but Sorphan seemed hesitant to enter the same car as Inara.

Without a word, Zanya entered the military car immediately, riding shotgun. She immediately made herself comfortable, placing her feet up on the dashboard and closing her eyes like she was going to take a nap. The day had been quite tiring and it wasn't even noon.

"Keys." Schala simply said, looking at Inara who stared for a while before throwing them to her with a sly smile. She couldn't wait to see Zanya's face.

She made for the passengers' when she heard another door open. She stopped and stared as the boys were entering another truck, the yellow armoured military vehicle she'd parked next to. Sorphan was sitting by the wheel, his face apparently disturbed.

_Maybe I came at him too strong…_ She wondered, frustrated but comprehensive as she decided to give him time to cool down.

Rian and Quentin also got into the car with Sorphan. Whether it was because they wanted to be roomier, or they just wanted to deepen their male bonding, not letting Sorphan drive on his own or the memory of Schala's driving was still too fresh in their memory, she couldn't tell. Shrugging, she got into the car, closed the door and waited for it.

Schala opened the door to her side calmly, sat down and placed the key in the ignition as calmly. Closed the door a bit too strongly, causing the car to shake a bit.

"Oh, c'mon… trying to get some shut eye here…" Zanya wailed, raising her head to scowl at the offender. Her face froze in terrifying shock.

Inara's smile widened considerably.

Sorphan turned the keys in at the same time Schala did, taking them out of nowhere, and started the engine. The sound was shadowed by a similar one of the car on his side. Following an invisible signal, both drivers turned to face each other, Schala leaning forward to look past the still unmoving frame of Zanya. Something clicked as emerald green locked on greyish blue.

Both then made their engines roar loudly and a smile crept on Sorphan's face, a a raised eyebrow on Schala's. Both meant one thing… A challenge.

"Oh no…" Quentin wailed, reaching for his seatbelt under Rian's confused eyes. The engines roared again in unison and as he stared to the other car, he found the justification for Quentin's reaction and mimicked them.

"Oh yeah!" Inara cheered, grabbing the sides of the front seats in anticipation. "This is gonna be good."

"Oh crap!" Zanya let out between her teeth, snapping out of her shock as she gazed at Schala, then at Sorphan and then at Schala again. "Crap, crap, crap!" She cursed as she wrestled with her seatbelt to get it on.

Sorphan and Schala kept their eyes on each other as if they were alone, nothing surround them, no one around them, just him, her and the raging cars.

His smile grew, her eyes narrowed, both engines roared and the vehicles shook, demanding to be released.

And following an unseen sign, both trucks sped out of the parking lot and carried on with outstanding speed on to the dirt road, lifting sand clouds at their passage as panicked screams could be heard from the inside…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hello people!! Yes, I'm alive in case you were wondering… but just barely… anyway… Hiya again!!! I missed you, just about how much you've missed this update, I'm sure… ;P Anyway, on with the mindless babble._

_I hope you liked it and that it wasn't too over the top… they have been getting bigger, haven't them… anyway, hope you enjoyed it, that's all I can really ask for. Just a little something about the chapter per se… I wanted to do something different for Schala's release… no Moombas (I honestly never knew they could come to Squall's rescue in the game…) and no talk about flowers either, as for Shiva's part in all of this… I always said I wanted to give GFs more power and screen time XD I believe that's all of it… as requested, no scratching to death scene… __**shivers**__… that would be weird…_

_Anywayl, stay tuned for the insane, crazy, totally wild and extremely foolish Missile Base Chapter!!! You won't want to miss it!_

_Bye-bye_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_PS.: Ok, enough about that, on with the "__Reply to anonymous reviews__" part of my show… Yes, because all my reviewers know how I like to babble on how much I liked their reviews. Don't' think that just because their anonymous you can escape me… ;P_

_If you are not an anonymous reviewer, you can skip this part… that if you ever bother to read my Author's Notes… What? You don't have to read them, I'd be foolish to believe everyone reads them… I can get a bit winded, you know… sidetracked and all… like now… I'm shutting up now…_

_-/-_

_To tacks:_

_Hi there!_

_Thanks so much for your words, they make me extremely happy!! I'm very easy to please ;P_

_Anyway, to tell you the truth, I never read any other gender swap story, except for one that is extremely delayed… (you know who you are) __**Clears throat**__ but I'm truly happy you're liking mine XD, you can't imagine… and trust me, you don't want to… ask around…_

_Anyway (sorry, I get easily distracted), Glad you're liking the tension in the love-triangle… I am absolutely loving that everyone's enjoying it and yes… there are a lot of Seifer&Schala flags around… I gotta start thinking about making t-shirts…Yes, Seifer shows a lot of his complexity at this part of the story (you haven't seen nothing yet) but don't think Rian is just a generic here (insert evil grin). I got a lot planned for all my characters ;P. Sorphan is Sorphan. Wouldn't have Zanya any other way. Quentin is a guy, that by itself makes a huge change in his ways and actions… not to mention he has Xu (one of the reasons I didn't change her) and that means he doesn't chase around after Schala and I think that the lack of that angle might make some difference… but what do I know? ;P_

_Lanara, Wada and Kiara are the best! I was actually hesitant at first, was only going to change Laguna but then like… what the hell, let's give it a go. That's the swap that gives the most trouble anyway… and I did it XD Glad you like it, I try my best to keep the hilarious moments. Thanks again._

_Well, let's make a deal… you keep reading and I keep writing, how do like that? ;P_

_Thanks once again and don't be a stranger XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_-/-_

_To logging in is too much effort (Suerte?):_

_Hi!! And thanks so much for your review! It really makes my day when I get one… my days are full of light in this cold, cold winter XD. Glad you like it and that my story is not lame in your eyes and I hope with all my heart that the non-lameness sensation continues throughout the story :)_

_One of the things I always wanted to do with this story as I started writing it was the Seifer part… I feel there's much more to it and that is sort of short lived the actual conflict for Rinoa in the game… Seifer is a passionate youth, he wouldn't give up without a fight, don't you think? As for Rian… well, this story is just getting started. I got a LOT planned for my characters and you haven't seen nothing yet. I will still surprise you ;P All of you XD_

_Sorry for the late update… brain… scorched and in flames… Oh well, better late than never )_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_-/-_


	27. Chapter 27: Rainbow 3

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… but wouldn't it be cool?_

**Chapter 27 – ****Rainbow 3**

The desert was quiet and still, not a harsh breeze flowed around the dried up vegetation or adapted wildlife. Two Abyss Worms wobbled on the surface, warming on the heating sun on apparent relaxation when something made them freeze in place. The vibrations they could feel from their partially buried bodies grew more intense and in two seconds flat, the beasts buried themselves on their holes, erasing any sign of their presence.

Not a minute after, two vehicles sped through the dirt road, just a couple of metres off the two holes in the sand. The heavy trucks screeched into the curve, their high speed never wavering.

They were nose to nose, equally matched as they crossed the desert road with a hurried stride. The drivers and some of the passengers – the others were too shocked to notice – saw a crossroads up ahead, approaching fast, where a busted up vehicle had been abandoned by its side. Following an unshared sign, both drivers hit the break harshly, causing both trucks to convulse with the suddenly of the change and their occupants to lean forward from momentum.

Both trucks came to a halt after a few metres, both at the exact same invisible line that made the crossroad and both at the exact same time.

The drivers' doors opened revealing the two brunets as they stepped out of their cars, and Inara, the only one _sober_ enough to follow them out at the time. They walked to the front of the cars, looking down at their unmoving positions. Both vehicles still rumbled from their active and strained engines, but the two of them didn't seem to notice. Emerald eyes rose to face on greyish-blue.

"Tie?" Sorphan suggested.

Schala just shrugged, apparently uninterested but Sorphan could have sworn there was a smile hidden in her expression. That thought made him smile wider, happy feeling that wavered somewhat as Inara rushed towards him.

"Wow, that was so cool!" She all but squealed, leaping up to wrap her arms around his neck.

Sorphan staggered backwards, suddenly uneasy from the woman's forwardness. Quentin and Rian stepped out of the car after a while, having recovered the ability to stand on their own. Sorphan was just about as bad as Schala, if not more reckless. There were more times than one on which they were almost sure they'd tip over. Zanya, however, left the truck with a more serene expression than was expected. Though her eyes were still wide and there were the remnants of uncomfortable feelings, she seemed to be growing accustomed to the brunette woman's intense driving style.

They all got out of the cars and approached the other two as Sorphan had finally set himself free of the sharpshooter's grasp. Placing the awkwardness behind them, they started talking and laughing a bit on how close to wining they'd been, with Quentin frowning at such frivolities taken in their situation.

Schala, on the other hand, didn't seem to register the awkward scene as she merely stood to the side of the road, her eyes lost in the north-western landscape. The desert seemed less harsh in that direction and a large walled structure could be barely made out in the distance.

_The Missile Base…_ She wondered, remembering a map of the Galbadian territory hanging on the main control room of the prison facility. Of course, knowing where it was located was the easy part. The hard part was knowing what to do next.

Her hands moved under her jacket's left sleeve and glove and her eyes lowered to her wrist, gazing at the pointers of her watch. As if on cue, something ahead called her attention. There was a flash of light, then smoke emanated from the base and only then came the sound. All teens' eyes were already locked on the distant galbadian base, Sorphan rushing over the wrecked transport by the side of the road, as something rose from the structure.

Schala counted twenty… maybe thirty rockets leaving the base and flying west with a slight hint to the north. She frowned in both relief and concern. Their trajectory didn't seem to be leading them to Balamb Garden, but…

"NOOOOO!!!" Sorphan wailed, collapsing to his knees as he realized the same. Those missiles were heading for Trabia Garden, his home.

"Oh, Sorphan… Honey, I'm so sorry…" Inara attempted to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder. No one had even noticed her approach.

"DAMN IT!" Zanya shouted as she punched the ground, causing minor vibrations. "We're too late to stop the launch…"

Silence stretched over the group, uncomfortable silence as everyone though of the lives lost from that simple act of pressing a button. A simple act they had been unable to prevent.

Strangely, Sorphan was the one to break the silence.

"We can't do anything for Trabia now…" His words were low and hollow but they drew the attention and surprise of all the others as they turned to face the rising young man. "But we can still help Balamb Garden!" He stated, a new determination shining in his bright emerald eyes.

"You mean… stop the new launch?" Quentin wondered, his eyes set on him.

"Yes!" Sorphan jumped off the dead vehicle, leaving Inara alone on top of it. "If we can stop the missiles, we can save at least one of the Gardens!" He strained, wanting to do something. He couldn't prevent the destruction of his Garden nor the death of all his friends there… and he couldn't think about it, not if he wanted to retain his sanity. He had to do something, save at least one of them.

"What if we can't stop it…" Rian didn't want to be the one to say it, but someone needed to make the reality check. They couldn't do it just because they wanted it, no matter how much they did. He had at least learned that much.

"We should go back to Balamb, go as fast as we can! Maybe there's still time to warn Garden!" Zanya stressed, talking for the first time since the missile launch. She'd been worried sick about Balamb since the president fiasco in Timber, fearing the retaliation not only against Garden but the town itself. She also saw the need to do something but what she wanted the most was just see for herself that her home, family and friends were still safe.

"Schala should decide… on what we should do." Inara interrupted any and all more inputs any of them was about to do as she climbed back down from the wreck.

All eyes turned to Schala as she tensed up considerably, her eyes turning to each of the awaiting faces with barely concealed dread.

_What…? Why? Why are you all looking at me like that? What do you want from me?_ Schala struggled with herself, trying not to let it show the hesitance and her personal lack of confidence.

She'd never asked to be their leader, why were everyone so eager for her to take the job?

"I agree." Rian added, looking at her with a reassuring smile. Schala was the strongest among them and they all owed their lives to her one way or the other. She was the best among them to decide on the next course of action.

Quentin nodded. "Yes… Schala is the leader." He added, avoiding her penetrating eyes. "Both matters are of great importance… we should split into two groups: one to stop, or at least delay the missile launch and another to return to Garden." His bright blue eyes focused on Schala's once more. "Schala is the leader, she should report to the Headmaster. An evacuation of Garden might be in order."

Schala glared at Quentin with accusatory eyes. Why was she being imposed leadership? Quentin was the most obvious choice, he had seniority after all. It didn't seem fair, especially since she didn't seem to have a say in the matter.

"So two teams, huh?" Inara started, her eyes locking on annoyed stormy blues before she continued. "Schala should decide on the parties." She added with a smile.

Schala frowned, yet again. _What… me? No! What if… if something happens to the ones going to the missile base… It's my responsibility, it'll be my fault! How can they ask that from me?!?_ Her inner turmoil continued. One moment she was becoming a SeeD, perfectly content with spending the rest of her life following orders and now without even a week on the job, SHE was the one giving them? That was so surreal.

"Schala…" Sorphan started, his face a sign of pure determination. "I'm on the missile base infiltration team." He said rather than asked. "I have to be! They fired missiles at Trabia, I must…"

"Sorphan, this isn't about personal vendetta." Quentin said, his tone calm and understanding instead of the harsh it could be. He knew… if it had been Balamb first… if Xu… "Ah… nevermind…" He corrected, shaking his head at the most terrifying image in his head.

His bright blue eyes rose to face his emerald ones and an understanding crossed over them like a lightning. Yes, Quentin could relate to Sorphan's feelings. He didn't know to which lengths he'd go himself if the situation was reversed.

And so everyone focused on Schala again, waiting for her decision. It wasn't enough that she'd been proclaimed leader against her will, now everyone were expecting something from her. She could feel the pressure of their stares, she could almost hear their hurrying thoughts, their encouraging musings.

"_C'mon Schala!"_

"_You have to decide, Schala!"_

"_Schala, think carefully now!"_

_That's it! I've had it up to here with this leader stuff…_ She stressed, her eyes looking back to the ones that cornered her to a wall. She never liked that spot. _You want a leader, I'll give you one!_

And so her thoughts focused immediately on the best parties suited to each destination. It wasn't hard and it didn't even take her that much time to decide. Unknowingly to even herself, at the time, she had already pondered on the teams on the back of her mind while she was struggling with her inner doubts.

"Sorphan…" She started, looking straight at him. She knew she would have to strap him to a chair to stop him from going, figured she'd save herself the trouble.

"… Inara…" She continued, staring now at the galbadian sharpshooter. That was the key point, Inara was from Galbadia and as the local Garden contracted and worked with the military on a regular basis, she would have the knowledge and experience with the protocols that could aid in their infiltration.

"… and Quentin." She finished. Yes, because they needed someone with a head on his shoulders, someone who could keep them on a leash and prevent them from doing something too reckless. Hyne knew that Sorphan was prone to dangerous and suicide ideas and Inara would just follow him willingly. They needed restraint, and Quentin was a more than competent fighter in case things went sour.

"The three of you will head for the missile base. Stop, or at least delay that missile launch!" She stated, her voice carrying the edge of a pondered order that Quentin expected to hear.

"Yes, ma'am!" The three of them saluted her, drawing a temporary frown and a reply salute. She wasn't used to be saluted like that.

"I think I saw some soldier uniforms on the armoured truck… we'll take that one." Quentin suggested to Sorphan, the apparent leader of the expedition, who nodded in agreement.

Schala nodded as well, turning momentarily to the remaining teens. "The rest of us will be headed for Balamb Garden." She added, receiving more salutes, Rian's accompanied by a soft smile.

Schala had pondered on this party as well. She had to go back, apparently being her responsibility as leader. Rian was, to all intents and purposes, a civilian and still a client and he had already been involved in far too much dangerous situations than Schala would have liked, she wasn't about to have him infiltrate a base full of galbadian soldiers that wouldn't think twice before placing a bullet in his head. No, going back to Garden was as safest as she could arrange right now. As for Zanya, she knew perfectly well how the blonde martial artist was worried about Balamb Garden and the town itself. Besides, she did made a promise to her father.

"There's a standard 3 hour waiting period between launches, that along with the ideal 3, 3 hours and a half it takes the rockets to fly over the air space separating it from Garden, it gives you around 6 hours and a half to get there and evacuate everyone in it." Inara mentioned as each of the others entered their designated vehicle. "Good luck to us both, then." She added with a smile, reaching her hand forward for a shake.

Schala looked down for a few moments and just as the red head was about to pull away, she grasped it, shaking it then letting it go. Inara was a bit surprise, but masked it with a smile, happy to be growing up on Schala's consideration.

"Inara, let's go!" Sorphan called out from the driver's seat. The base was still a bit far off, they needed to hurry. Every second was precious.

"Coming!" She said and rushed to the back seat.

Schala walked over to the other car before it departed, Zanya and Rian peaking over the windows of the other truck

"Take care and… Good luck." Schala simply said, having Sorphan's wide eyes on her for a second before he nodded, smiled and took off speeding.

_And come back alive… _Were the words she really wanted to say, but then she reasoned it was implicit. She turned and rushed for the driver's seat of her truck, entering it and starting the engine to leave, her passengers with their seats already tight and buckled.

Rian placed a hand on her shoulder as the truck started its hastened march. Schala looked through the review mirror, catching his reassuring smile and immediately focused on the road. They had taken a different path on the crossroads than Sorphan and the others. Schala remembered, also from the map she'd seen back at the prison, there was a military train station nearby where they could _borrow_ a train and head to Balamb immediately.

It would normally take almost fourteen hours from Deling to Balamb. They were a bit closer so it would take ten to eleven hours to get there in normal circumstances. Schala fought back a smile as she believed she could shave a few hours off of that.

In less than ten minutes they could see the train station. There was a military camp set nearby, so she stopped the car a bit away and they all got out and silently approached the camp.

There were a few cabins and houses, warehouses and vehicles but they moved swiftly around them, keeping themselves out of sight. Soon, they could see the tracks and to their luck, a transport train being ready to depart.

"Let's take that train." Schala whispered to the others, giving them a series of hand signals to instruct on their approach. Rian was a bit overwhelmed but he figured he'd just follow after them.

They moved once again, silent and as one, passing under and over the obstacles and into the train. They were a bit surprised the security was so lacking. The galbadians didn't act all that professional lately in their eyes. Blessing their luck, Schala just shrugged as they rushed by the side of the train, approaching the engine cart.

She slowed near a junction of the train.

"Zanya, uncouple the wagons." She murmured, gaining an affirmative nod. They could go much faster if they weren't towing seven heavy carriages behind them.

Zanya stepped in between the engine and the remaining wagons, examining the coupling system as Schala and Rian continued to the engine cart. Well, at least it seemed much simpler than the last uncoupling she had to do. A smile crept into her features as she recalled the train job of just a couple of days ago. That had been fun, hanging on the side of the train, uncoupling a moving train… beating Sorphan at Rock-Paper-Scissors. This was much simpler. Zanya just pulled out three pins, uncorked a screw and unlocked the coupling.

With a sound clank, the carriages parted. Zanya grew alert, checking if the noise hadn't attracted any unwanted attention. Satisfied, she climbed down and headed for the train's engine.

"Done!" She cheered lowly as she hopped inside, barely sparing a look as Rian pushed the unconscious body of a soldier outside.

He breathed in relief, turning back inside as Schala worked with the engine. After a few seconds, the carriage shook and started moving. Over the noise of the train on the tracks, the teens could hear the alarm sounding on the camp behind them as a hand full of soldiers began to pursuit.

"HEY! STOP!" The soldiers called out, branding their weapons.

However, instead of getting into their trucks, they were chasing the moving train… on foot.

"Ahmm… we're being followed…" Rian commented, frowning as the men ran side by side with the train. He was more than a little confused.

Schala didn't answer, more preoccupied with giving more power to the engine and so enhancing their speed. Zanya, who was helping her out, stepped back to check on Rian. Her eyes widened with amusement as there were a hand full soldiers running after the train.

"Wow! They're kinda fast… must have been in some athletic course or something." Zanya said with some admiration. They were actually managing to keep up.

Schala still said nothing. Finally founding what she was looking for, she ignored their comments and pressed the lever that would get them more speed. The engine jerked forward and immediately started to move faster.

"S-Stop the train!" One of the soldiers still chasing the train wailed, getting out of breath. "ERRAAHHHHHHHH!!! C'MON!" Another one cried out. There were only two soldiers now. The others had fallen behind.

"They're quite persistent, aren't they…?" Rian mentioned, staring at the men as they were being left behind.

"Just give it up, pal!" Zanya called out to them and in that moment, one of the men tripped, badly. He rolled on the ground and dragged the other soldier down with them.

"Ouch…" Rian cringed ever so slightly, barely imagining the pain that must have caused.

"That had to hurt…" Zanya voiced his thoughts and they both turned back to the inside of the cabin, looking over Schala as she focused on the controls.

The train continued gaining speed, leaving the two men sprawled on the floor in an odd and certainly uncomfortable angle.

"Rian." She started catching the raven haired young man's full attention. "Is there anyway we can bypass the switch points so we don't have to stop or even slow down when we get near Timber?" She asked him, gaining a thoughtful expression.

The best would be avoiding the town all together. There should be a separate track somewhere and Rian would know, being in Timber the longest and knowing it best. Not to mention that the preparation for the mission that had originally lead them to the hiring of SeeDs demanded a certain amount of knowledge of the industrial town's train system the rest of them were lacking.

"Hmm…" Rian let out, examining the control panels around the cabin, his movements followed by the two women.

His eyes flashed over a certain console, his fingers passing over several keys without pressing any of them. Zanya approached, standing on the tip of her toes and peaking over his shoulder.

Rian turned back at Schala, forcing Zanya to step back. He flashed them a smile.

"I think we can come up with something."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ok, we're almost there. Are you guys ready?" Inara asked as the yellow armoured military truck approached the missile base.

The other two SeeDs nodded as they replayed her instructions on their minds.

Entering a high security facility, especially with scheduled launches, wasn't easy. It wasn't supposed to. And so Inara had spent the half an hour of voyage developing a strategy that would allow them passage.

««Flashback»»

"Ok, here is how it'll go down." Inara had explained after she had sorted out the details, now currently on the back of the truck changing into a soldier's uniform. "When we pass the check point, the guards will ask us who we are and what we are doing there. With the missile launches security is gonna be tight, we can't afford to slip."

They both nodded, though there was no way for her to see that.

"We're gonna tell them that we were on manoeuvres outside the prison facility this morning and were ordered by the commander of the base to reinforce the missile base security during the launch procedure, according to military protocol 25/D. Also, there was no chance of giving warning because the com system in the D-District prison is malfunctioning again." She explained in one go, her words often muffled by the sound of shovelling clothes. Sorphan tried not to think about that.

"Since we busted the communication system in the prison before we left, there's no way for them to confirm it. So unless the guys at the gate are extremely clever, curious or mean, we should be able to get in." She continued, her voice a bit more strained now as she, from the sound of it, seemed to be finishing with her dress-up.

"And that we'll get us within the walls…"

««End of Flashback»»

And that was the essential part of their little endeavour. First get inside the base. The whole mission would be a bust if they didn't manage that. They had practiced their lines thoroughly, leaving no room for errors which had taken a while. They were delayed a good ten minutes sorting out the details.

Sorphan slowed down as he approached the check point to the base, his and the others' faces hidden behind their _borrowed_ helmets.

The truck came to a halt just before the barrier and next to the cabin where four galbadian guards were busy with something. After a good half a minute, one of them strayed from his duty and approached the booth.

Sorphan tensed slightly, replaying the speech one more time on his head, making sure he got it all down. As the guard looked outside at the passengers and the vehicle, Sorphan turned to face him.

"Hey, we're…" He started but stopped abruptly as, without a word, the guard roughly pressed a button and the barrier rose, allowing them entrance.

The man didn't even spare them a second glance, ignoring Sorphan's greeting and turning his back at them as he resumed his activities.

Sorphan hesitated, confused. All that planning, those precious minutes lost arranging the details and that was it? Still confused, he faced his fellow SeeDs and even though he couldn't see their expressions he guessed they'd be just like his.

"Just go." Quentin signalled and Sorphan nodded, taking the truck to inside the lot.

He parked the car close to the base's entrance, but not too close to arouse suspicion. Before they left the car, Inara scoffed.

"Really." She sighed out, a tip of anger in her tone. "The military is really decaying… what kind of security display was that?" She complained, gaining a chuckle from Sorphan.

"Better that than the other way around." Quentin pointed out, opening the door. "Let's thank Hyne for the break and hurry up before they realise their fault." He suggested, getting out of the car.

Sorphan smiled behind his helmet and left as well, followed by Inara that was still grumbling over her careful planning going to waste. They got out and headed for the entrance. The three of them were properly attired in galbadian uniforms, with Sorphan being lucky enough to find one of his size and Inara fortunate the padding of the uniforms were enough to hide her female shapes. Of course they all complained they were smelly and itchy. They were armed with the standard issued rifles, though Inara carried a blue duffle bag where they'd stored their weapons and clothes.

The moment they entered the facility, a warning echoed in the small access room they encountered themselves in.

"Following the launch on Trabia Garden, prepare for the launch on Balamb Garden in T minus 120 minutes. All personnel, take your position." The electrical voice ended with a loud click.

"We got two hours before the launch… will that be enough?" Quentin wondered out loud, looking over to his companions.

"It will have to be." Sorphan stated, heading for the leftmost of the two doors in the room that would give them access to inside the base.

He tried on the door without success and then noticed the card slot. _Damn, we need a card to get inside! _He thought, annoyance and despair seeping into him. They had to find a way inside, no matter what.

"Sorphan, honey…" He heard Inara and turned back to face her.

It was weird hearing her soft and seductive voice coming from a soldier's uniform. He shook those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the grey rectangular piece of plastic dangling around her gloved fingers.

He could practically see her dazzling victorious smile, couldn't helping one of his own.

"Though it goes on the other door." She pointed out as Sorphan retrieved the card from her hands and returned to the doors.

He nodded and passed the card on the appropriate slot, being rewarded with the sound of an opening lock and the little light by the door changing from red to green.

"Alright!" He cheered. Things were looking up. "Remember the plan!" He added, opening the door.

Indeed, getting inside the military base was just step one. Once inside they had to get a way to prevent or delay the launch. They had discussed their plans over that carefully as well.

««Flashback»»

"Ok, Plan A is to try and neutralize the missiles themselves." Sorphan had corrected after his original intentions being refuted by the others.

"_If there's a door, we go in! If there's anything we can break, we break!"_ It hadn't been a very thought up plan and would probably only get them killed all the quickest…

"That's good… most of the missiles should be in the storage area, probably being transferred for the launch platforms as we speak." Inara had mentioned. Her knowledge was proving invaluable for the mission. "We might be able to confuse the targeting system if we mess around with it a bit. And even if we can't get to all of them, we can probably make it so they destruct each other."

"Good." Quentin had commented, pleased somewhat to realise the tall brunet man actually had a good head for planning past the initial recklessness and for the unending source of knowledge Inara was proving to be. "Will we be able to get close enough to the rockets to do that?"

"Well… security is a problem though there shouldn't be many soldiers on the docking area…" Inara hesitated. Though that was the best plan, the one that would probably guarantee the best results, it was also the most difficult to accomplish. There were too many undetermined variables she had no way to ascertain at that point.

"We need a contingency plan." Sorphan stated while, at the time, still driving the truck towards the missile base.

"A Plan B… what if we cut down the power?" Quentin suggested. No power, no launch. Maybe that should be Plan A.

But Inara shook her head as if she'd heard his thoughts. She had already thought about it.

"Killing the power won't stop the launch. There's a back up system specific for basic operations, for the control room and missile control." She informed. "That would definitely delay the launch, though, since the cranes and elevators wouldn't work, forcing the moving of the missile cases to be made by hand and so take longer." Inara was thoughtful now. "The increase of personnel around the bay would make it impossible to mess around with the missile system but if we act quick enough that they aren't too many in position at the time, we'll have won precious time…"

"And we can use the confusion to try and sneak inside the main control room and possibly stop the launch all together." Sorphan concluded, a smile drawing in his face at the perspective of success.

"Either way, we'd have gained more time for Schala to get to Garden and evacuate it." Quentin pointed out.

"Right! So… First check the missile deposit and see if we can mess around with them." Inara clarified, solidifying the plan in their minds. "Either way, we should cut the power next to delay the launch… if there's time, and use the confusion to get into the control room" She concluded as the male SeeDs nodded in agreement.

At least they had a plan of action.

"And in the end, we blow the place to smithereens!"

««End of Flashback»»

_Simple enough._ Sorphan recalled as he opened the door, gaining access to the inside of the facility. They were on top of a few steps that lead to a long catwalk that zigzagged around a wide and long hall.

"The Missile deposit should be on the other side of the hall." Inara informed lowly. "And… there is the main circuit room…" She added, discreetly signalling the first door on their path, one that had a guard on lookout.

Sorphan equally discreetly nodded his understanding as he advanced, as slowly and casual as he could muster, over the catwalk. Inara had explained the basics of military protocol, so as long as they acted cool enough, they shouldn't attract too much attention to themselves. At least, they hoped so.

Sorphan walked steadily, with Quentin and Inara close behind, them all walking in a straight line.

"Hey! You! Come here!" The guard suddenly called out when they were still a couple of steps away.

The SeeDs froze in place, their panicked faces concealed by their helmets. _Do we look THAT suspicious?!_ They couldn't stop but wonder. Gathering all of his calm, Sorphan turned to face the man and nodded casually in acknowledgment of his calling and approached.

"Haven't seen you around here…" He mentioned, looking up and down repeatedly as Sorphan got closer and completely towered over him. _Shit! This guy's tall!_

Sorphan hesitated. He was expecting the questioning at the entrance but not exactly there. It only took him a second to organise his thoughts.

"We're reinforcements from the D-District prison." He stated, his voice steady despite his racing heart. He couldn't blow it now that they were going so well. "We were reassigned during the missile launch."

"Oh, really…" The guard pondered for a moment. "We received information the escapee alarm had sounded in the prison…" He mentioned, eying them now with curiosity and suspicion. "I'm surprised they could afford to let you go…"

Sorphan swallowed dry, as silently as he could as both he and Quentin tensed. They hadn't considered that possibility. They were in trouble now. As covertly as possible, they slowly reached for their borrowed weapons, ready to strike.

A typical and unfamiliar man's laugh stopped them dead.

"Oh man, don't get us started…" Sorphan turned his head, perhaps too abruptly, to see who had spoken. That wasn't Quentin's voice, had to be…

"That system has given us more trouble than if we didn't have it. The damn alarm started ringing out of the blue, placing the whole base on alert." Inara continued, her voice unrecognizable in a perfect male accent. Sorphan was stunned beyond words.

Her improvisation skills were stunning.

"Seriously. And if it wasn't enough of a glitch, it actually interfered with the communication system as well. And it isn't the first time either…" Inara continued, never faltering her disguised voice and never hesitating in her makeshift tale.

The guard looked intently for a few minutes. Sorphan was starting to be nervous again. Did he believe her made up story? Did he not and was going to uncover their charade? Were they good or totally screwed? He tensed, reaching again for his rifle.

But then the man laughed out loud, and Sorphan's eyes widened considerably more. Was that a good sign?

"Yeah, I heard that new system was wreaking havoc in facilities that used older installations." He started, apparently both amused and a bit frustrated. "Damn those politicians and their budget cuts. They upgrade one of the systems but make them interact with older ones. That's just asking for compatibility problems." He stressed.

"Tell me about it." Inara replied with a dry chuckle. Her acting skills were also off the charts.

"I guess you should be thankful for being here, huh?" He continued.

"Whatever gets me away from that place…" She added with another male chuckle.

"Alright, alright." The guard composed himself before waving them off. "Carry on, then."

"Yes, sir!" She replied and saluted, the still slightly stunned teens saluting in turn.

They started walking again, leaving the amused man behind them, still listening to a low chuckle. They moved as casually as they had before, the nerves and the adrenaline of almost being caught dissipating from their systems.

"I must say, I'm impressed with your display." Quentin commented lowly once they were out of earshot.

Inara grinned widely, though they didn't see it.

"Piece of cake!" She said, still using her male voice. "…" Her amusement faded somewhat as she tapped Sorphan's shoulder softly. "Sorphan, honey…" She started, using her own undisguised voice at a much lower tone. "Be careful with your salute, you did it wrong back there. We were lucky he wasn't paying attention there in the end."

"Oh… sorry…" He promptly replied. He didn't notice his salute was not right, he had made it out of reflex. He needed to be more attentive to that.

They didn't exchange another word as they made their way across the platform, reaching a wide door on the other side. Following Inara's silent, and not so silent, instructions, they finally found themselves at their destination. It was a really wide division, built like a warehouse with a raised platform. The SeeDs approached the railings and their eyes widened under the cover of their large helmets.

The room was filled with large missile cases, stretching as far as their eyes could see. Many cranes moved around, hovering over the crates and occasionally picking on up and moving it around, sometimes to a side of the room that had a set of elevators which should lead do the launch platforms.

They were definitely in the right room. Quentin strained his eyes to make out the brand on the side of one of the crates.

"Shinra…" He whispered, staring at a red lozenge logo.

"They're military contractors." Inara explained in her male voice. "A weapons research and development company responsible for the supplying of various equipments, including these." She added, picking up her rifle and twisting it around so that the logo was visible.

They checked their own weapons and confirmed the existence of the same symbol on all of them. But that was beside the point, they had other things on their minds.

The room was more crowded that they had initially expected. Seemed they were running behind in the loading process. That signified a big problem for Plan A. It'd be extremely complicated to get close enough to the missiles to perform the necessary _twinks_ without attracting attention to themselves.

On the other hand, it was quite convenient for Plan B. If they were able to cut the power fast enough it would take them a really long time for the galbadians to set the missile cases on the launchers by themselves.

The teens exchanged a look and, even without gazing into each others eyes, the next course of action was evident to all of them. Sorphan remembered where the circuit room was, just by the entrance, and frowned slightly.

"How are supposed to pass by the guard?" He asked at a low tone.

"Oh, man! We're running behind!" Someone complained loudly not too far their position.

Momentarily distracted, the teens turned to see what was going on. Two soldiers were using a couple of consoles that seemed to control the cranes. They were rather engrossed in their activities that they didn't notice them.

"I know… we shouldn't have had that prolonged lunch hour..." The other man said, the one farthest from the teens' position.

"Yeah, yeah… And we still gotta inspect the circuit room." The first one said.

Now, the SeeDs had already dismissed their conversation as mindless chatter right up until the words 'circuit room' reached their ears. They turned back to face the two soldiers, approaching inconspicuously to better listen to their conversation.

"Oh, drats!" One of them continued. "I almost forgot about that… Damn, we're already late for that." He continued, looking at the large clock on the wall and groaning loudly.

"Mic's gonna be pissed…" The other one said. "Should we go now?"

The other soldier looked at him sternly. "We're already late as it is!" He said. "We can't leave this job undone."

"Damn…" He grumbled.

The two men silenced a bit after that, slowing their work with the cranes as well. And that was when the same thought crossed the three teens' minds. They nodded in unison and Sorphan stepped forward.

_Trap__…_

"Hey guys! How's it going?" He started, acting casual.

"Bah, don't even start…" One of the men said and Sorphan smiled. It shouldn't be too hard now.

"Yeah…" The other one started. "We're running behind here and we gotta go check the circuit room… I don't think we'll be able to make it." He sighed out and the teens' smiles widened.

_Net…_

"Oohhh… The base commander will not be too happy about that." Inara added in her perfect male voice, making the two soldiers shudder.

"We don't have much of a choice… Either we go and the loading stays incomplete, or we stay and Mic rats us out to the commander…" One of the men stated with resignation.

"Either way… we're screwed…" The other one wailed.

_Bait__…_

"It's too bad no one else can check the circuit room…" Quentin sighed out, shrugging in an apparent lack of interest.

"Yeah, I mean… It's just going and making sure everything's up and running, anyway." The soldier confessed.

"Anyone could do it, really…" The other one added.

They all stood there for a full minute in absolute silence staring at each other.

"Hey, I got an idea!" One of the soldiers suddenly cried out, immediately fixing the volume of his voice. "Could you go and check it out for us?"

The SeeDs grinned.

"H-Hey! Man, no!" The other one wailed, though he had thought it too. "What if the commander finds out? We'll be in trouble!"

"Nah, it'll be fine." The first one reassured, dismissing the other one's words. "Here!" He added, stretching his hand and handing Sorphan another key card. "Just say you're filling in for us and use our pass to get in. Mic's cool, he won't give you trouble." He added as Sorphan reached for the card, restraining himself not to act too eager.

_SCORE!!!_

"Alright, no problem." Sorphan said, trying in his full not to give his satisfaction away. "We'll be going then, catch ya later." He added and the three of them turned and walked away.

The soldiers nodded and resumed their previous work a bit more upbeat than before. The SeeDs were very pleased with themselves too. Sorphan raised the card to the level of his eyes.

_Piece of cake…_

With a renewed feeling of hope, the teens hurried, though not running, back to the circuit room.

"Hey, back so soon?" The guard by the door, whom they now knew was called Mic, greeted as he recognized them, especially Sorphan.

"Yeah, the maintenance team asked us to take their place with the inspection." He said clearly, straight to the point.

"Ohh, really?" The man started, a flash of annoyance passing through his features. They had made him wait. "Very well then." He said as he recovered his good humour. This man was actually quite nice. "Don't forget to call it in when you're done." He added.

"Right!" Sorphan replied, eager for the man to leave.

"I'm off!" He still said, saluting as he turned around to leave.

Again, the SeeDs saluted back, watching the man slowly walk away.

"Sorphan… the salute." Inara whispered to him as soon as the man was far enough.

"Oops!" He excused himself under Quentin's disapproving sigh and as Inara shook her head.

"Anyway, let's go!" Sorphan covered, pulling the key card over the slot and rushing inside, followed closely by the others.

The circuit room was just like any other control room they had encountered in the past. The consoles and panels showed core temperature, system status and the fluctuations in the power management and distribution. With a nod, the teens spread out, looking for the generator controls.

"I got it!" Sorphan called out. He started fumbling with the buttons and levers, trying to get a reaction from the console as the others approached him.

He wasn't having much success as all his messing around didn't cause any change on the readings displayed by the monitors.

_That's strange… Nothing's happening…_ He frowned in confusion and started pressing the buttons again.

"Need a hand?" Inara asked mockingly, her soft female voice increasing the effect of her teasing words.

"No, I got it." He replied as he pounded the panel and was rewarded with a complaining _**bip**_.

Encouraged by his little success, Sorphan continued to slam the controls until a loud alarm sounded within the room. They all looked around in alert as the lights went out, being replaced by weaker red illumination about ten seconds after. On the monitors, a large message blinked on a dark background.

**UNAUTHORIZED REACTOR SHUT DOWN**

**ACTIVATING EMERGENCY GENERATORS**

"Alright, we did it!" Sorphan cheered at his success, enthusiasm shared by the others. "Let's smash the rest of the equipment so they can't fix this!" He instructed and they immediately complied, destroying everything beyond repair.

The alarm continued ringing and was now accompanied by a warning.

"Electrical System Malfunction Verified. Maintenance Team: Investigate Immediately." A monotonous voice echoed in the halls.

"I think we should get out of here before they show up." Quentin stated with innerving calm and, their damage done, they nodded and rushed out of the room.

They had barely set one foot out before someone called out to them.

"Hey, you!" A familiar voiced reached them as two soldiers ran at them.

"What's going on here?!" The other one asked and Sorphan finally recognized them. It was the maintenance team.

_Drats!_

"Hey, are you listening? What did you do in there?" The first one asked again, causing Sorphan to tense further.

He was already contemplating blowing their cover when Inara interjected.

"We were in there for like, a minute, then everything went haywire!" She told them, using an amazingly accurate exasperated male tone.

They stood there for a while.

"The circuitry must be overheating from the strain of the launches." One of the soldiers provided, causing them to take a silent breath of relief.

Seemed like they bought the improvised act… These soldiers were awfully gullible.

"The system did present a few glitches the last time we mad a full diagnosis… we told the commander it was just a matter of time…" The other one started but was interrupted by a static sound coming from his hand.

Only then did the SeeDs notice the radio he was holding.

"What's the status?" A commanding voice demanded.

"We haven't assessed the damage yet, but it's possible the whole system crashed!" The one holding the radio informed, his stance rigid as if their superior was standing right in front of him.

"Should take us a few hours to fix it… it won't be ready in time for the scheduled launch!" The other one added, cringing as he expected an angry outburst.

"WHAT!?!?" The voice screamed, then seemed to calm down. "Fine, we'll fire what we've got when we're ready…" He grumbled. "Report to me when it's fixed." He ordered.

"Yes, sir!" They saluted and the radio was off.

After taking a long breath to collect themselves, the two men raised their eyes and headed for the still unlocked room.

"C'mon, let's hurry in there to see what happened." One said as he entered the room.

Such was their concern they seemed to have forgotten about the SeeDs. Unfortunately, they couldn't extent the same courtesy. They knew that it would only take them a look around the room to realize that was not an accident or simple malfunction.

As if they'd read each other's minds, they all nodded and followed them in.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" A muffled voice cried out from inside the room.

"H-Hey! What are you going to do with that?" Another followed.

"AHHHHH!!! W-Who are you…?!"

"What?! No!! AAHHHHH!!!!!"

"Dammit…"

"Ughhh…"

"…………"

The door opened and the three teens stepped out, arranging their uniforms inconspicuously. On the other side of the door, there was only silence.

"Alright, that's done!" Sorphan cheered as Inara passed the card on the slot, locking the door. "Let's keep movin'! In the confusion we might be able to sneak into the main control room!" He added and took off, running this time.

The two SeeDs shared a look and a silent comment before running after him.

They got to the other side of the hall and slowed to check the scenario. There weren't soldiers in sight, except two by the access way to the control room, as Inara had informed them. Despite the general confusion, those two soldiers kept their cool and positions. Sneaking in wasn't an option, they had to think of something else.

Sorphan started walking over to them, counting on Inara's ingenuity and if that didn't work, on their weapons.

They hadn't crossed half the hall when a door right next to them opened suddenly and a soldier stuck his head out.

"Ah, good!" He exclaimed, looking at the SeeDs that froze in place.

"We need all the help we can get to place the missiles in the launchers." He commented as he signalled for the two guards to come as well. "Come help out!" He said, though it sounded awfully like an order.

Both groups hesitated as they stared at each other. The guards didn't seem too pleased with leaving their post as the SeeDs cursed their rotten luck. If only they had delayed a little bit longer, the guards would be out of the way and they could storm the control room, but now…

"Hey! Hurry it up!" The man inside the missile launcher room called out again, receiving five simultaneous grumbled _"Coming!"_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There was a loud knocking at the door making the woman raise her head from her pristine mahogany desk.

"Come in." The woman's soft and melodious voice, though with a salient edge to it, travelled across the room.

The door opened immediately and a young man wearing the Galbadian SeeD uniform entered the room. He had long brown hair, tied in a pony tail that rested over his shoulder as a loose strand fell over his face. He approached with a hurried and grave step.

"Headmistress…" He started as he was just halfway across her office.

The room itself was dazzling. The walls and ceiling were of a dark red shade, not awkward but cosy, and the floor shone like coloured glass. The room was wide and mostly empty. A few bookcases and display cases with variant ancient artefact or pieces of technological wonder adorned the walls, and near her desk on the far end of the heavy mahogany double doors that gave access to the room, where the floor was elevated which made a couple of steps, were a few fancy, ancient chairs along with a comfortable looking couch.

But the young man paid no attention to the detailed elegance of the room as he strode along it without taking his eyes from the woman.

"Headmistress Martine." He repeated, his voice betraying a bit of alarm. "They're here." He stated. "The Galbadian Armada is preparing to land on the shore."

His statement didn't seem to startle the woman as she just nodded, her face remaining thoughtful for a moment.

"The evacuation?" She asked, raising her eyes to meet him. Her bright green eyes showed no fear but a barely concealed concern and a lot of determination.

"The last group has just left the premises." The young man informed. "All junior classmen have been successfully evacuated, along with most of the senior students and SeeD escorts. Most are to seek refuge in Dollet and Timber and any other small village in between." He continued. "We also sent word to all away teams not to return to Garden and to head for one of those locations, if possible. One team was also dispatched to Balamb as to ascertain the situation there. They were told not to interfere if the situation proves too hazardous… Just as you've instructed." He added, his deep dark brown eyes never leaving the Headmistress.

"How many have stayed." She asked, her voice though soft remained emotionless.

"Thirty-four SeeDs and fifteen senior classmen." He informed, his tone ever so respectful.

"Fifty people against an army…" She sighed out, hoping they were less. She stood with her eyes closed for a moment in contemplation. "You think I've lost my mind." She asked, her tone betraying a bit of anxiety in the end.

"No." He answered almost immediately, his face softening a bit. "We must do what we must to protect our home." He stated, his voice serious despite the smile on his face.

That drew a smile. Yes, protect their home. _But what was a home but the people in it?_ She wondered. She had ordered the evacuation of Galbadia Garden so that her students and SeeDs were safe from the wrath and malevolence of Sorceress Edea. She knew the wretched woman wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone that stood in her way, were they child, woman or elderly.

That was the main reason she'd hoped not so many of them had stayed behind. They were hardly enough to make a stand if the sorceress decided to participate in the attack herself. But there was nothing to be done now, she could at least entertain them long enough so that the last group got away safely.

Besides, she would not surrender her home without a fight. Not while there was a breath in her body.

Martine opened her eyes to stare at his reassuring ones and her smile widened. She turned around completely and reached for something hanged behind her high back chair. She felt the weight of her old but very well preserved Sniper rifle – named _Bullzeye_ after her own nickname from years ago – and passed her fingers over the embossed pardons carved all throughout its length, passing also over the indentations that told the story of the many fights and battles where it had saved her life.

There had been a long time since she'd used it for more than practice shooting and lessons. And now the time presented itself to use it again to protect what was most important to her.

Martine turned back to the awaiting SeeD, grabbing a heavy ammo pouch and circling the table, weapon in hand and wearing a different attire than what most personnel and students at G-Garden were used to see her in. Instead of her usual ostentatious dresses, she wore a simple light blue gown that fell close to her skin and that was opened in front to the length of her legs, for better mobility. She didn't dismissed her high heel shoes nor the stockings that reached up her thighs, less alone the corset she now wore over the gown instead of under it. Her hair was arranged in a half bun so it fell over her right shoulder but not in a way that would impair her vision.

She looked ready for battle.

"Let's go then, Connor." She said out loud, sparing him a look before she walked past him towards the door. Her footsteps sounded loudly on the vitreous floor as they were accompanied by his.

"Let's show those Galbadians why we are SeeDs."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was quiet in the town of Timber. Quiet apart from constant background sound of moving trains that the locals had already grown so accustomed to, they barely even noticed it. And it was quiet apart from the movement of people in and out of carriages or just waiting patiently on the many platforms.

Overall, it was a normal day in Timber, with just the occasional soldier passing by, maintaining the peace, or so they claimed.

The people started gathering by the Balamb platform as the scheduled time for its departure grew closer. Despite the long distance and it being the only direct transportation between the Western Continent and the Island of Balamb, there weren't many people waiting to board the train, just little over ten people paced, stood or sat at the benches of the station.

The sound of the approaching train drew no reaction from any of them as they were used to it. Not even when the sound grew louder and closer did the people move. They knew the train would wait for a few minutes on the station before moving again. They knew they would have time to calmly board the train. They knew there was no rush to get into the good seats. They knew that at that time of the day, the train would be close to empty and they could have their pick without the need to hurry. They knew the train approaching was heading for Balamb since only those that were passed through that platform. All of them knew all of that.

So why was it that the train didn't seem like it was slowing down? Why did it seem to approach the platform with so great a speed that suggested there was no intention of stopping? Why hadn't the speakers announced the train's arrival, as they always did?

The sound became deafening and those nearer to the edge of the platform all but jumped back as the train passed over the tracks at a greater speed than any of the spectators believed trains could achieve, less alone the speed permitted inside the town. Skirts and jackets wavered, hats flew and luggage collapsed all over the platform, the people too stunned to react. The train was barely visible for even a second, seeming more like a blur, like an illusion. Most people later doubted to even have seen it at all.

Meanwhile and oblivious to the shock inflicted in the sanity of the few people in the platform, the train continued its hastened advance, flying over the rails and nearly jumping off the tracks when the landscape came to a sudden descent towards the underwater tunnel uniting the landmasses.

They were getting closer to their destination.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Good work, guys." The guard complimented as, finally, the last of the missiles was in place at the designated launch spot.

All breathed in relief and satisfaction, though some more than others.

The SeeDs were exceptionally pleased, despite being so tired. Still their tiredness would be nothing compared to the one felt by the galbadian soldiers, after all they didn't have GF enhanced strength. The little operation of loading the last missiles that had been placed in the launcher room before the cut in power unutilized the elevators, had taken over two and a half hours to perform. That was significant for the SeeDs for two very important reasons: 1, there were less missiles being launched at Balamb Garden than originally anticipated, less than the ones they'd seen being sent to Trabia Garden; 2, they had been successful in delaying the launch for little over one hour of the scheduled time. That meant that, even if they were unable to stop it all together, they had given the people of Balamb Garden a better chance of survival.

It wasn't the ideal scenario, that being stopping the missiles and destroying the base so that the missile threat was gone for good. Of course there was still that possibility, if they could get into the main control room. But at least it was a small win.

The two guards that were blacking the passage for the control room had left a while ago, seeing the SeeDs had been forced to place the last of the missile cases in place. So now the path was blocked again and the initial confusion caused by the blackout had faded over time, everyone too concerned to get things working again. They were both surprised and thankful no one had remembered to check the maintenance team supposedly working on the circuit room.

But in any case, their window of opportunity had closed shut and they had to think of another way to pass by those guards, stop the missiles and blow that whole thing up.

"Hey you guys!" The same soldier from before called out, making the teens turn to face him. "Thanks a lot for your help." He said and they nodded in recognition.

The man still looked at them, making them feel a bit wary. Did he suspect anything?

"Would you be willing to do one more thing for us?" He asked with a pleading look, catching the SeeDs by a pleasant surprise. It was better than _"Fetch the shackles!"_

"What do you need?" Sorphan asked. They had been making the most significant progress when they were interacting with the soldiers' usual functions anyway, not to mention that saying a plain and straight _"NO!"_ would decimate the good fortune they'd been beneficing from till now.

"We need someone to confirm the coordinates and conditions of the launch on the control panel just outside of the room. It's usually made remotely from the control room, but the lack of power makes that impossible. It has to be made manually." He informed and, just like Sorphan'd hoped, a new window had opened for them.

"The program should be ready to go. Then all you need is to go to the control room to inform the base commander. Think you could do that for us?" He asked, staring at them for a moment as there was no immediate answer.

_SCORE!!!_ They all thought (not with the exact same words), their minds stunned – in a good way – by the way things were developing. It was almost too perfect.

"Sure! We're on it!" Sorphan cheered, trying in vain to cover his enthusiasm.

Things were going too well.

"A-Alright then, move along soldier!" The man dismissed them with a salute and turned to attend to his duties. Some missile cases still needed to be booted into the system, but he didn't need more people for that.

As before, the SeeDs saluted in return and stalked out of the room, heading straight for the panel. As they stepped out of the room, their eyes fell first on the guards then to the panel. They were so close to their ultimate goal, it was hard not to feel giddy. For most at least.

"Sorphan…" Inara whispered, her tone a mix of frustration and slight disappointment. "The salute, you gotta watch the salute!" She stressed, gaining a muted apology.

Seriously, they had been lucky with the soldiers they'd encountered thus far. Sorphan insisted on making the SeeD salute instead of the standard military one. She was surprised, but thankful no one had noticed it yet.

In any case, lucky breaks aside, they now needed to focus on the task at hand. They started up the console, following the instructions to access the missile controls. They pondered – well, Sorphan did anyways – just smashing the thing beyond repair but there was the latent fear of launching the missiles by mistake, so that course of action was disregarded.

Following normal procedure, Sorphan started by the ID check along with several function checks. That over, he focused on the menu that showed up next, the words "TARGETING SETUPS" attracting his attention. He smiled, fumbling with the buttons.

A loud groan escaped his lips. The target setting command was locked out. That was the best way to assure the safety of Garden. Sighing, he decided to move along.

_Hmm… ERROR RATIO…_ He wondered and an idea suddenly flashed in his mind. If he set the error ratio to max there was the strong possibility some, if not all, the missiles would miss their target. Miss Balamb Garden. His thoughts seemed to be shared by his companions as they elbowed him to encourage him to continue.

Sorphan accessed the command and set the error ration to the max, confirmed and left the command. He continued to skim through the several settings, none of which interested him much. They weren't going to fight the missiles hand in hand, there was no point in knowing the details. The destructive power, the accuracy, the make and model, those were things he didn't need to know and honestly, felt better not knowing.

He reached the end of the commands. "DATA UPLOAD" That's what they needed to do so that the changes they'd made would upload to the missiles.

Sorphan pressed the control and waited as the upload underwent. Unit 1… Unit 2… Unit 3… And the loading was complete. Hopefully the slight change would prove significant, they all wished.

They shut off the panel and focused to the catwalk leading to the other end of the hall. Only one thing was missing now.

Straightening their stance and uniforms, the SeeDs proceeded across the path and towards the stationary soldiers.

"This place if off-limits. You're not allowed up here." The guard started immediately, they weren't even a metre away.

"But we've got orders to report on the missile coordinate data." Sorphan said calmly. In a way, that was true though it wasn't the only reason they wanted to go into the control room.

But the guard didn't need to know that last part.

"Oh, well… I guess it's ok then." He said as he and the other one stepped to the side, giving them passage. "Go right ahead." He added and the teens happily complied.

They moved quickly on the smaller hall, stopping by the door for a moment. They were very close to an absolute win over here, it'd be a shame if it all went to waste now. Sorphan's hand reached for the door knob, but a hand on his shoulder made him stopped. He turned to face the others as Quentin retrieved his hand.

"Any thought on how we're going to proceed in there?" He wondered out loud.

Sorphan had considered two courses of action that would most probably get them what they wanted. One, go for the kill: storm in, dispose of the resistance in a great and loud quarrel, stop the launch and activate the self destruct. Two, start sneaky: keep the charade, get closer to the people inside, dispose of them quickly and silently, stop the launch and activate the self destruct. Simple enough.

"It'd better if we keep the charade for as long as we can." Inara suggested. "If we just break in they can call for reinforcements and/or launch the missiles immediately." She continued. "It's a risk we can't afford."

The two males nodded in agreement. Plan 2, then.

Sorphan knocked at the door, opened it and entered without waiting for a reply. As they climbed the hand full of steps that raised them to the main control room, they could hear the people inside.

"All systems go, sir!" Someone said.

"Everything's all set, sir!" another one added from across the room from the first.

So there were at least two soldiers plus their superior, most likely the base commander.

"We had some minor setbacks, but proceed as scheduled." Another voice sounded, authority pouring out with every word. "We're running behind, but prepare for the final launch phase." He ordered and there was the frenetic sound of key tapping throughout the room.

"Roger that!" One of the soldiers said as he reached for a microphone on his panel. "Attention. This is the control room." He spoke on to it and the teens could tell his voice ringed throughout the facility. "We are now entering the final phase of the missile launch. Take your designated positions and prepare for the launch." He informed then cut the mic with a flick of a button.

"All done, sir." The same soldier started up again, turning on his chair to look at the base commander. "All we need is the data confirmation and we're good for launch."

The older man in a red uniform nodded.

"Good… Huh?" He stopped his pacing having finally noticed the three teens in uniform by the entrance. "You there, what are you doing in here?!" He demanded harshly. It had been a long day.

"Sir!" The three SeeDs replied, standing in salute immediately.

Inara cringed ever so slightly that she doubted anyone but her knew about it. _Dammit, Sorphan… The salute!_ She complained to herself. That boy was going to need an intensive course in infiltration tactics when they got outta there…

"We've come to report on the missile co-ordinates and data upload status, sir!" Sorphan provided, oblivious to Inara's not so soft of a glare and that his salute was, once again, wrong.

"Oh…" The officer nodded for a moment though he kept his gaze on them. A frown suddenly appeared on his features and it only increased as he continued to stare. "Don't move!" He suddenly barked at them, stepping to the side.

Inara was already opening the duffle bag in her hands.

"You're the intruders, the ones who have been wrecking havoc all over my base, aren't you?!" He accused, raising his finger at the three teens as they tensed.

_Busted!_

"No use denying it! That salute you just did was completely off!" He told them.

Sorphan cringed visibly, refusing to look to the side Inara. She had been warning him all afternoon.

"Call the alarm!" The officer ordered, signalling a soldier to his side. "I want every able soldier in this room to deal with this scum!"

As ordered, the soldier by his side leaned towards a large red button on the adjacent console.

"Quentin!" Inara's female voice echoed in the room, catching the soldiers by surprise as she drew Quentin's Chainwhip from the duffle bag and threw it at him.

Without hesitation, Quentin gripped the handle and rounded the whip over his head. Just as the soldier was about to slam his hand on the button, the whip cracked loudly and launched forward, catching the man's wrist as it was millimetres away. Immediately, Quentin pulled, dragging the soldier out of his chair and into the floor.

"Sorphan!" Inara called out again, throwing his large nunchaku at his awaiting hands and holding her trusty shotgun in her own hands. She dropped the bag then and got ready for battle.

Inara raised her hand and weapon, shooting another soldier and stopping him on his tracks as he rushed to the button his companion had been unable to press. Quentin and Sorphan were already halfway inside the room, knocking out soldiers left and right. There weren't many soldiers in the room but their priority was to dispose of them as soon as possible. Too many consoles with too many functions they couldn't afford the soldiers to mess with.

As the two males handled the other soldiers, Inara focused on the base commander as he tried to sneak towards the same button as before. She shot Valiant missing his fingers by millimetres and forcing him to step back. The man stared at her with an angry glare that only intensified as she raised her left hand, keeping her tight grip on her shotgun with her right one, and raised her index finger, waving it from side to side in an obvious "_Don't do that_" sign.

The man grumbled something unintelligent that Inara didn't catch, his eyes darting from the slowly approaching woman in soldier's uniform and the button. As he was mentally preparing to lunge himself towards the console, he spared her one last look and her demeanour changed. She was waving her hand at him. He didn't have time to ponder as he was charged from the side and was unconscious not a second afterwards.

Sorphan rose to his feet, a big smile on his face as he withdrew his helmet, shaking his head and breathing in the non muffled, electronic scent.

"Damn, these uniforms are smelly!" He complained, happy to finally be able to take off the horrible and suffocating helmet.

The other two SeeDs followed his lead, taking off their own helmets and breathing more freely now.

"Sorphan, really…" Inara started with a _**huff**_. "How hard could it be to do a military salute?"

Sorphan staggered and was hesitant to reply to that, but luckily Quentin spared him.

"That can wait." He stated. "We've got to stop the missiles."

"Right!" Sorphan took the chance to change the subject. "Then we blow the base to smithereens and get outta here!" He cheered.

"Ok, spread out and look for the launch mechanism!" He added as he moved for one of the control panels, Quentin doing the same as Inara went back to retrieve the duffle bag with the rest of their stuff and then walking across the room to check a console herself.

"Hmm…" The three of them examined panel after panel looking for the missile launch controls.

"I found it!" Quentin called out and the other two immediately converged to his position. He stayed silent for a while pressed several keys.

Luckily the system was already prepped and set on the missile launch codes and no other password was required as Quentin typed in the new commands. After a few moments, a new message showed on the monitors.

**MISSILE LAUNCH ABORT****ED!**

"Alright!" Sorphan cheered, tapping the instructor in the shoulder repeatedly.

Quentin shrugged the hand off and turned towards them.

"Now we should look for the self-destruct!" Inara mentioned, gaining their attention. "But I don't think that's in here, we've already searched every panel." She pointed out.

"There seems to be another room through there. Maybe the controls for the self-destruct are in there." Sorphan suggested and considering it, the SeeDs proceeded inside the indicated room.

The back room seemed just like an extension of the main control room. Panels, controls and monitors adorned the much smaller room that seemed to focus on a centre console. Sorphan approached it, realising immediately what it was.

"This is it! Nice!" He said happily, checking the controls. "Hmm… there isn't any password required for this one either… hmm… How much time you think we'll need to get out of here?"

"A timer, huh?" Quentin wondered. "Well, we still have to cross half the base to get out…"

"Not really." Inara promptly corrected, flashing a black key card. "I swiped it from the commander back there. It should be able to open every door in this place."

"That's good, but we still…" Quentin was about to interject, but Inara just smiled, raising her hand and pointing to a second door in the room.

"That opens to a corridor that leads to the entrance. You know, that second door that was locked? Only those with the highest security can enter the facility through there, it comes straight here." Inara informed. She hadn't said anything before because they didn't have the necessary card. Now they were cool.

"So, we'd be outta here faster! We can set up a smaller time frame for the blow out!" Sorphan concluded.

"And it would minimize the risk of someone coming in and restart the launch." Inara added.

"Perfect, then." Quentin started up again. "Set the timer to 10 minutes… should be more than enough to get to a safe distance."

The others nodded and Sorphan did as he said, setting the timer. Her pressed the confirm button and immediately an alarm echoed throughout the facility, accompanied by a mechanical voice.

"ATTENTION, SELF-DESTRUCT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. REACTOR OVERLOAD IN T-MINUS TEN MINUTES AND COUNTING. ALL STAFF ARE TO EVACUATE THE BASE IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT… ATTENTION…"

The warning sounded, repeating again and again as the teens shared a look.

"Alright! Let's hurry on outta here!" Sorphan cheered as Inara passed the card over the slot and the door opened with a _**swiff**_.

The SeeDs rushed through the opened door, oblivious to the movement in the main control room.

The base commander groaned and crawled over the unconscious bodies of his soldiers. He was hurt badly but the teens seemed to have underestimated his resistance. He knelt down, reaching up the consoles for support as he stood.

"Damn twerps…" He grumbled as he dragged himself slowly over the panels, pressing buttons at random as he strained to move forward, towards the missile controls.

"They think they're so smart… HAH!" He continued to murmur as he was now at his intended destination. The strength in his legs failed him, he gave his all just to stand straight for just a while longer.

"We'll see who has the last laugh…" He added, pressing a few buttons before being completely drained and collapsing on the floor.

On the room's monitors, the flashing message that had just showed the countdown for the self-destruct, in 7 minutes or so, changed…

**MISSILE LAUNCH COUNTDOWN INITIATED, T-MINUS 5 MINUTES AND COUNTING****...**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The base's courtyard vibrated in activity. Soldiers, officers and vehicles moved in a frenzy, all in desperation to clear out of the base and not get caught in the unavoidable explosion.

In the midst of the chaotic evacuation, two soldiers and an officer approached a large, blue armoured tank.

"We have intruders on the base!" The officer told the soldiers. "We are NOT going to let them get away! Close the blast doors" He ordered gaining some odd stares.

"Sir, the evacuation is still underway. The remaining soldiers will be locked in!" One of the soldiers commented, flinching at the glare in the officer's face.

"Are you questioning my orders?!" He barked and everyone around him jumped in fright. "Do you have any idea what Sorceress Edea will do to us if she learns we had intruders in the base and not only did they blow it up, but we were unable to apprehend them? Next to her wrath, this will be quick and painless!" He told them, sweat trailing down his face from merely thinking about it.

"Now do as I tell you!" He ordered again, entering first on the armoured tank.

"And prepare the Iron Clad for immediate battle!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The SeeDs stormed out of the corridor just as the alarm echoing in the structure gave them an 8 minutes countdown check. Without stopping and still catching some evacuating soldiers, they left the small hall and into the exterior.

The sun's glare blinded them for a second. When they opened their eyes, they saw a wide commotion surrounding them. There were still soldiers and a few vehicles inside the facility and they seemed to be panicking. The SeeDs soon figured out why.

The heavy blast doors were closed shut and sealed and so many soldiers were still inside, trapped. Not to mention the SeeDs. How had that happened?

"What do we do now?" Sorphan asked, turning towards Inara so see if among the long arsenal of information she possessed, there was something she had that could free them from the encroaching dire predicament.

Her expression wasn't very encouraging.

"Is there any way…" Quentin started but a loud rumbling from ahead of them cut him short.

The three teens turned in time to see a large blue armoured tank like vehicle coming for the side, running over any soldier who wasn't fast enough to move out of the way.

"Woah! What is that thing?" Sorphan cried out, seeming to attract its attention.

He gulped as the heavy BGH251F2 turned to face them, its large, red centre eye-like thingy seeming to focus on them.

"Move!" Inara shouted as she jumped to the side, motion mimicked by the other SeeDs.

And just in time too as a laser beam fired at the place they had just stood. Inara landed with a roll, raising Valiant and shooting at the large iron tank. Her bullet barely scratched the armour. Spreading to the side and rushing forward, Sorphan and Quentin both brought their own weapons up and tried to strike at the heavy blue machine, but their attacks did even less than Inara's.

With its targets spread out, the Iron Clad charged forward. Inara was out of reach but Sorphan and Quentin were right in his line of path. They tried to run out of the way, but Sorphan was caught by the side, being thrown off across the courtyard.

"Sorphan!" Inara cried out in concern. She saw him bounce off some containers like a rag doll. Her bright cobalt eyes turned to glare at the heavy armoured vehicle. Now she was pissed.

The machine turned, focusing his laser beam again on Quentin that just managed to evade it. Something rocked through the structure then, a small explosion on its right side. Inara packed more explosive ammo into her shotgun, the very last four cartouches, and aimed them to the chargers on top. There were four consecutive shots fired at one of them, the explosions managing to damage the top structure lightly.

Seemed the heavy tank had a weakness after all. Still, for a weakness it was pretty strong. Only Inara's explosive ammo had made a dent and she was fresh out. No way could any of the others' weapons accomplish the same effect.

The metal beast turned to Inara, charging the main cannon and firing it without waiting. It had been charging for a while now. She could just step to the side, but would still be hit by the strength of the powerful blast.

A green barrier surrounded her, protecting her from the worst of it, though she still felt the tip of her hair scorched by the hit. As the attack reseeded, Sorphan was standing over a crate, one of his hands gripping his side as the other was raised in the red headed sharpshooter's direction. He then shifted his hand toward the machine.

"Thundara!" He shouted and a strong electrical current coursed the exterior armour of the Iron Clad.

Inara looked at the tall brunet man with relieved eyes, wincing as he did when he jumped down the crate. His side was killing him, despite the Cura he had already cast on himself. Seeing his distress, Inara ran at him just as the Iron Clad prepared for a new attack. But it didn't have time to do anything.

There was a shrieking cry and then a most powerful thunderbolt slammed against the top of the armoured vehicle, which shuttered into a stop. Inara and Sorphan looked up and found themselves gazing at a beautiful yellow and light green dragon. Quetzalcoatl sent a new wave of chain-lightning against the metallic creature, attracting its attention as it charged the main cannon again.

Meanwhile, Quentin made his way towards his companions, readying a Cura for Sorphan as soon as he saw his condition.

"You're ok?" He asked as Sorphan's body trembled with the healing magic doing its function.

"Been better…" He grumbled and a louder shriek filled the skies.

The Thunder Dragon placed himself into position directly on top of the Iron Clad and with a sung cry, thunderstorms formed around it, covering the usually blue sky. As he lowered his beak, a rain of thunders fell on the iron tank. The thunder storm lasted a good 30 seconds and its effects were plainly visible.

As Quetzalcoatl faded into a sharp light, so did the surrounding dark clouds and below, on the ground, the Iron Clad shook from the after shock of the all powerful electrical attack, two more of the top chargers blowing up in a rain of sparks.

Still, the heavy machine was still moving. Well, shuttering at least.

"I lost control of the MRV!" A muffled voice seemed to come from the inside in a moment the damaged metal beast halted its groaning.

"What!!!?" Another voice sounded.

"We gotta get out of here! This thing is outta control!" Yet another muffled tone reached their ears as they approached with caution.

The door to the side of the armoured vehicle opened, its sound muffled by the crack and sparks coming from the machine. Two soldiers and an officer jumped through the smoke that escaped it, landing just a metre away from the SeeDs, coughing their lungs out.

"What a piece of crap!" The officer groaned, coughing some more that it took him about half a minute to register the teens' presence.

Once he did, he immediately jumped to his feet, kicking the soldiers to stand as well.

"You three…" His voice was dripping with poison. "You have done enough! I'll kill you myself!!!" He roared as he motioned the two soldiers forward, him following close behind.

Quentin cracked his whip, wrapping it around one of the attacking soldiers' arms and pulling him closer. Such was the man's uncontrolled run, he almost tripped towards Quentin's awaiting knee that collided with the man's stomach harshly, knocking the air and consciousness straight out of him.

Sorphan waited for the charging man to get closer and then, with a flick of his wrist, he brought his nunchaku in a low upper cut, catching the man straight through his chin. He flied back a couple of steps, landing harshly on the ground, still conscious. Sorphan rushed forward, slamming his weapon against the man's head, knocking him out.

Inara pulled in the last of her AP rounds, aiming it directly at the officer's own hand-machine gun. Before he even had a chance to fire, two shots hit the frame of his gun and before he could react, two more almost chopped his arm off. The officer's weapon was damaged, sparks and scraps filling the floor, but he still rose the weapon and aimed it at Inara's head. As he pressed the trigger, there was the characteristic click and a second passed without anything happening. Then his arm suddenly blew up, sending the man flying across the lot.

Nothing else was moving in the base's courtyard after that.

"Can we get out?" Sorphan wondered, passing by the large blue MRV and approaching the heavy blast doors. "Can we get these opened?" He asked again as he turned to face the others. Quentin looked thoughtful as Inara was concentrating.

From behind her, two distinct but familiar growls were heard from the earth and suddenly, the ground opened and two large creatures, one larger than the other, erupted from underground, landing heavily on the dirt floor.

The Brothers smiled, giving their master a small bow as Inara turned to face them.

"Can you knock down those doors?" She requested and both minotaurs nodded.

Sorphan and Quentin moved out of the way as the powerful earthen guardians slammed again and again against the armoured gates. The doors were very thick but gave in slightly with every ram.

"We have to hurry!" Quentin suddenly pointed out. "We should only have little over two minutes to get to safety."

"We'll make it!" Inara reassured.

Then something else all together called their attention. From the empty missile base, there was a loud sound of moving machinery and then, to their great astonishment, the missile platform rose above ground, positioning the heavy cases. Not a second after that, there was a loud blast, a flash of light and several smoke clouds covering their vision.

When they were able to see again, they immediately recognized the smoke trails that rose up into the air, caused by the rockets headed east.

The three teens collapsed to their knees, their eyes blank and a mix of frustration, defeat, personal disappointment and anger covering their faces.

They'd ultimately failed. They couldn't stop the missiles after all. Balamb Garden was still going to be destroyed, even if Schala got there in time for a full evacuation, the structure itself would be destroyed beyond repair. The Brothers' continuous rams at the door became nothing more than background noise, not registering at all as each of the SeeDs wallowed in their own thoughts.

_Was all of this for nothing? Could I not save even one of my homes?_ Sorphan couldn't stop but wonder. He was an orphan and his blood relatives had been always lost to him. Was he destined to lose his surrogate family as well? His friends, the people that took him in and sheltered him… Was he truly homeless now? _Is It all over now…?_

_Xu, darlin'… _Quentin couldn't stop but think about her. He knew her well, he knew she would only leave the Garden after making sure that everyone had been successfully evacuated. What if it took her too long? What if she was still inside when the missiles hit? He shook his head violently. No, she couldn't die like that! He would never forgive himself. He couldn't live in a world without her, he'd rather be caught in the eminent explosion of the base.

_Of all the rotten luck…_ Inara wailed in mostly frustration. The one mission that really mattered, the one that was more important not only for her but her recently rediscovered long, lost friends. To think that after so many hardships, a couple of days were the only time granted to them to spend together. It didn't feel fair.

Inara rose to her feet, approaching Sorphan and locking her arms around him in a tight embrace. At least she wouldn't die alone. Even in his shock, the tall brunet young man acknowledged her, placing his own arms around her and pulling her close, hiding his face on her uniformed chest. His nose cringed, the uniforms were smelly and he almost chuckled for the details that registered in his mind considering the situation.

Inside the unmoving base, silence reigned beside the self-destruct alarm that ringed through out the structure. On the monitors of the main control room, the countdown continued.

**REACTOR OVERLOAD**** IN 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…**

_**BOOM!!!**_

The ground shook beneath them, but they didn't move. Explosion after explosion sounded and occurred around them as they stayed where they were, awaiting their time. The Brothers abandoned their attempts to disable the gates, even when they were just about through, and rushed towards their master and the remaining SeeDs, kneeling down over them and sheltering them with their massive armoured bodies just as the base exploded around them.

A larger, stronger explosion ensued, knocking down the walls, the doors and the whole structure sky high. It would be seen as far as Deling City, a large and thick smoke cloud raising above the ground and covering the skies in a dark mist.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Wow… Done, and in record time, too! I hadn't updated in the space of two weeks since the first chapters… XD_

_Anyway, hope you liked the chappy, from the team assignments to the Missile Base infiltration. Seriously, for someone that had no idea how she was going to write that whole scene two weeks ago, it kinda flowed quite nicely, don't you think?_

_Next, On Twisted Fantasy: Gardens' Fate…_

_Stay tuned, I promise a big surprise for the next chapter XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	28. Chapter 28: Gardens' Fate

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, as I don't own "Unexpected Destiny" either… that's Celestial Rage's fic XD_

**Chapter 28 – Garden****s' Fate**

The snowy landscape was breathtaking. The whole of Trabia Continent was covered by a thick, white mantle, its mountains contrasting with the clear blue sky above them. However, the continent's appeal was only matched by its hostile conditions, the immense cold and the abundance of monsters.

Yet, in this most inhospitable place there were always the curious, the adventurers and the travellers. The wide snow field was marked by recent footprints, indicators that not one but two individuals had ventured past the brink of civilization by the cost line. The two characters stood out in the white background, one for her long fiery red hair, the other for his long dark-blue coat, wavering with the freezing breeze.

They had been walking for little under 24 hours now, after their transport broke down quite the few kilometres behind them. Nevertheless, they now walked with increased determination as their destination presented itself at arm's reach.

They left the snow field, entering what appeared to be a valley. Two ominous, rocky scarps covered in thick snow rose at each side as they ventured deeper between them. A few metres ahead, the walls parted and distanced creating a circular plain within a cordillera. In the centre of the plains, high, light grey walls stood tall and strong, covering their line of sight so that the only thing they could see from whatever was within those walls, was a tall white tower that had attached to its very top, a set of richly decorated golden rings and one bright, shimmering light blue aureole.

They approached the walls, coming closer to a set of heavy armoured gates. The shorted of the two individuals, the thin female with the long red hair and white camouflage gear, stepped to the side of the gates, shuffling the snow from a small console attached to the wall. She pressed the button once for precisely three seconds then let it go, returning to the side of the taller man, with snowy white hair and his long blue coat tightly strapped around him.

It took less than five minutes for the gates to grumble noisily from their movement as one of them opened slightly, not enough to give them view to the inside of the walls but enough so that two people could be seen on the other side. They looked young, teenagers. A dark haired, blue-eyed boy and a light blonde, green-eyed girl. Both wore heavy white winter coats that reached their knees, but they could see they wore a light grey uniform with blue rims underneath it.

"How may we help you?" The girl said politely, barely able to disguise her surprise at the two unannounced visitors that reached them apparently without proper gear or transport.

Both youngsters examined the newcomers as they suddenly stood in attention, giving the standard SeeD salute, with them repeating the gesture.

"We are SeeDs dispatched from Balamb Garden with an urgent master for Trabia Garden's Headmaster!" The woman said in a chirpy but professional voice.

The Trabia cadets exchanged a look before the young woman took her leave and disappeared behind the gates. After a few seconds, the large metal walls hinged loudly as they opened fully and the young man stood in front of them with a polite smile.

"Welcome to Trabia Garden, then." He greeted, stepping to the side and motioning them inside the grounds. "If you'd please come with me." He instructed starting to walk as the SeeDs followed with two curt nods, the gates closing on their own behind them.

Once within the walls, the SeeDs froze and it had nothing to do with the chilling cold surrounding them. Trabia Garden stood in front of them in all its splendour and stunning beauty. Now that they could see it clearly and completely without cover, they noted that what they thought was a tower resembled more like the long neck of a pristine white swan. The base of the structure was low and widened, couldn't have more than two low floors, not higher than four metres each, making up the body as two long and high extensions by each side gave the impression of resting wings.

The SeeDs stared in awe for a moment until a chuckle snapped them out of their stunned reverie.

"Firs time here, huh?" The cadet wondered, receiving the slightest of, somewhat, embarrassed, nods in reply. He had to fight off a wider smile. "Yeah, we get that a lot." He added, no longer able to keep it in, he turned to hide his amusement and resumed walking forward. The Balambians, though still in wonder for their outstanding surroundings, followed close behind.

Rare were the occasions where a first time visitor wasn't stunned beyond words at a first glance of the Northern Garden, of "Trabia's Swan". It was a matter of pride for all those that lived there.

He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts and amusement as they neared the structure.

The interior of the Garden couldn't possibly outshine the beauty of the exterior, but it certainly did not disappoint. The floors and walls were of stone white marble and past the lobby, with the traditional access booths, that were opened to allow them passage, there was an outdoor garden right in the middle of the structure, with winter flowers and a large and beautiful decorated fountain filling the air with the sound of running water and a sweet scent.

A new chuckle drew the SeeDs from their awe as the boy enjoyed seeing the surprise and admiration on their faces. Balamb Garden was beautiful in its whole, but it was a different type of beauty. The pristine white surrounding them gave a more heavenly feeling. It was breathtaking.

Straining to act more professionally, the SeeDs looked past their beautiful surroundings and examined it. Just as it had previously registered in the back of their heads, they noted this Garden was smaller than their own. There were only two low floors arranged in circular proportions with the centre actually at open air, it did not even have a glass canopy. They could see the rings almost like hovering high above their heads and started wondering if it somehow prevented the snow to fall upon the patio.

They noticed as well the people walking around them, teenagers mostly, in normal clothes, others in uniforms, cadets like the ones that had lead them in, and others in different uniforms, more detailed, white with silver, blue and black rims and adorns, they assumed were SeeDs. All of them looked at the two visitors with curious stares as they stood at the lobby just looking around.

As they looked at the people looking at them, they recognized the female cadet from earlier approaching them accompanied by slightly taller woman.

She wore a long white coat, with golden rims and no sleeves, tied tightly from neck to waist were it was left opened, wavering as she walked the halls. She had a set of a tight brown belt and a looser black one and underneath her coat, she wore a pair of grey pants and dark-purple heeled leather boots whose steps echoed on the marbled floor. Her arms were covered by the dark-purple sleeves of the woollen shirt she wore under her coat that reached to her un-gloved hands. Her hair was a light brown, falling over her shoulders in soft waves that bounced slightly at her every step. Her sharp and deep olive-green eyes were locked on them from beneath the long bangs that threatened to cover her sight.

Though this woman didn't wear any uniform, her stance gave away that her status was of no mere student. She stopped with the cadet once they were close enough and greeted them with a small, intrigued smile.

"Greetings, my name is Ana Marshall." She introduced herself and was cut off as the Balambian SeeDs saluted immediately, performing a salute of her own.

"I am Maki Marauder, and this is Vergil Sparda." The red headed woman informed, easing her salute. "We come with an urgent message from Headmaster Cid."

Ana nodded slightly. The cadet had told her that much and now that she looked over the foreign SeeDs, she couldn't help the seriousness of her thoughts. Headmaster Cid wasn't one given to exaggerations and sending two, apparently, senior SeeDs to deliver a missive was definitely severe.

"We were ordered to deliver the letter in hand to Headmaster Albert Baumer." Vergil spoke for the first time as the woman remained silent.

His voice was certainly appealing as the female cadet's head snapped in his direction, her lowering it immediately afterwards to hide a tinge of pink in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold.

Oblivious to, or simply ignoring, the girl's reaction, Ana nodded her understanding at the man's words as she turned to the cadets.

"Ben, Meg." She started, causing the cadets to straighten their stances. "Please lead our guests to the Headmaster's office. We'll be there momentarily." She added, bowing her head slightly towards the SeeDs and walking away, towards the central garden.

The two cadets nodded and turned towards their visitors, motioning them to follow as they headed for the elevator in the lobby.

Ana walked over the marble floor, nodding at the occasional cadet or SeeD that crossed her path, keeping a smile on her face as her mind wondered. This mysterious, urgent message from Headmaster Cid troubled her more than usual. Something in the air warned her of caution, that something big was about to happen or already was.

Without paying too much attention to where she was going, Ana turned to the right at the centre passageway out of the small garden, turning left in the small corridor immediately after. Trabia Garden was a small structure, one hardly got lost inside and there weren't many places one could hide. She stopped at the second door to her right, hearing voices from the other side. They were happy voices, cheering and laughing and her smile widened slightly despite her concerns as she slowly and silently opened the door.

It was a small classroom, one wouldn't immediately tell it was a classroom though from just a glance. The tables were all arranged in a corner with all of the chairs except for one. In the middle of the room, an old man with an overgrown, grey beard that reached his chest, long, grey hair in a topknot and wearing long, dark blue and purple robes that reached his feet, sat in a chair. By his feet, sitting around him on a fluffy green carpet, were at least a dozen children, no older than eleven, hearing to his words attentively.

"… The bad, brutal monsters cornered the younger of the Magician sisters, but the little girl showed no fear." The old man told his tale. "With a shrieking cry, she charged at her opponents but was overmatched! She couldn't do it alone…"

"What happened to her?" One of the little girls on the first row asked with concern and her question rose a bit of identical uproars from some of the other children.

With a patient smile on his face, the old man raised his hands, asking for silence, before continuing.

"Just as she was about to lose, something big and large ran their way." The old man suddenly rose from his chair, waving his arms around as he was shoving invisible people in front of him, making the kids shy away slightly but amusedly. "The monsters were tossed aside as if a train was rushing at them! Arrgggghhhh!... Ouuchy!... UUUIIIII!" He wailed suddenly as he played the part of the monsters, swaying from side to side, dragging laughs and giggles from his audience.

"When the little Magician girl rose to her feet, her eyes sparkled…" he mimicked it, his dark blue eyes lighting up and placing his hands under his chin and displaying a wide smile, gaining more giggles, "… as she gazed up at her BIG sister, her eyes then shifting to her SLIM sister as she ran through the other's path of destruction. The little one stood up in a jump as they gave each others' high fives…" he exemplified with one of the kids in the front, who quickly complied, "… and they set their plan into action."

"You see, the Magician Sisters could be vulnerable on their own, but together they're unstoppable!" He emphasized, filling his chest with air and flexing his inexistent muscles. "As the horde of monsters fell over them, they pummelled them…" He continued, making the appropriate gesture, "… kicked them, punched and all around, slaughtered them!"

The children's eyes lightened at the development.

"And they were, as to be expected, triumphant in their daring little escapade, heading then to their grandmother's house for tea and cookies… mhmm… cookies…" He added, gaining more chuckles and giggles as he rubbed his stomach, thinking of the cookies.

_**I don't shriek!**_ A little, somewhat shrieking young female voice echoed in the old man's head, sounding a lot like a pouting.

_**Don't take it persona**__**lly, short-stuff… at least you don't charge like a train…**_ A stronger and graver female voice replied.

_**Girls…**_ A serene and beautifully soft, but definitely authoritarian, voice sounded next, her demand of calm and silence evident in her tone.

The old man smiled at the voices in his head, focusing immediately in the children who were circling him again.

"Tell us another story of the Magical Girls!" A small boy asked, receiving many concordant nods.

"Yes! Yes!"

"They are the Magician Sisters, not the Magical Girls!" One of the other kids corrected with a huff.

"Same thing…" Another one replied.

"No it's not!"

And the disagreement would have continued if the man didn't step up.

"Ok, ok! One more." He surrendered, ending the argument with the prospect of another story. "Which one do you want to hear?"

"The one with the chocolate house!" One of the kids called out.

"No, the one with the giant cornstalk and the ogre!" Another one shouted.

"I like the one with the seven moogles…" Yet another one mentioned, before it became inaudible with the torrent of requests. The old man just smiled.

Ana shook her head, leaning it against the door. They had been so engrossed in the story that they hadn't even noticed her presence. A smile crept into her features as, not ten years ago, she had been in their exact same position, calling out for a story from the already then aged man. He would never change, despite all his status and responsibilities, he never missed the chance to hang around the children, telling the most unlikely and insane stories.

Hanging around the children made him feel young again, not to mention he enjoyed making the children happy with his stories. And he had a LOT of stories to pass down onto them.

The kids seemed to reach a consensus, drawing her from her musings.

"The Beauties of the Beast!" They suddenly all cheered, making the woman by the entrance stand straighter.

As much as Ana knew they liked story time, both the kids and the story teller, she was afraid she would have to cut their entertainment short for more pressing matters.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry to interrupt." She said softly, her voice causing the silence to spread across the room as the children focused their attention on her for a second, the old man the only one that didn't turn to face her, a smile on his face.

"Annie!" All the kids cheered as they rushed to the woman, circling her in seconds, tugging her coat or hugging her legs.

The woman half-expected that reaction though she was never completely prepared for it. She stumbled slightly, trying to maintain her balance as the kids cheered for her. The old man rose from his chair, a wide smile on his features as he observed the exchange. The children loved Annie almost as much as they loved him. She often aligned in their play-games as he preferred to stick to story telling. He wasn't as young as he once was.

"Hah, Annie! To what do we owe the honour?" He said teasingly as the woman disentangled some of the kids from her legs before she could tip over.

The old man caught her serious eyes for a second as her olive green crossed his dark blue and he understood immediately the small wordless exchange.

"Your presence is required in your office. You have guests." She said, more to the kids understanding than his.

The children spread out a bit with their large eyes darting from one to the other.

"You're leaving so soon?" One of the kids asked, even though he had been there for almost two hours.

"I'm afraid so, my children." He said as he lowered to their level. His hand went suddenly to his back as it cracked loudly, gaining laughs from the kids, and he straitened up immediately with a groan. Instead, he sat down on the chair again for a moment. "You know it isn't nice to keep guests waiting." He pointed out and the kids couldn't do anything but agree.

He smiled as he looked to their little resigned faces. They were such good and polite kids.

"Will you come back?" One of them asked.

The old man spared a glance at the tall woman but she seemed unsure. After all, she didn't know what the missive contained, despite her bad feeling, she didn't know if it was good or bad.

"As soon as humanly possible." He decided to play the diplomatic route, flashing a big and full-teethed smile.

The children nodded and the man patted a few heads as he headed out the door, Ana already waiting for him on the outside.

"This better be important, Annie." He said with mocking annoyance, one that wasn't as mocking as it sounded. Spending time with the children was as important to him as his duties.

"I apologize for the interruption, Headmaster, but messengers have arrived from Balamb Garden with an urgent letter from Headmaster Cid." She informed as they crossed the halls.

"Hmm…" He wondered but didn't elaborate.

"I had them wait in your office." She added gaining a nod from the Headmaster.

"You did good, Annie." He replied, referring to her almost as if she wasn't much older than the kids left in the room. Well, considering his own age… she truly wasn't...

They walked in silence towards the main lobby and the elevators, now entering the centre garden with the headmaster's eyes falling momentarily on the fountain. Well, at least in apparent silence.

_**What does he want now?**_ The strong voice echoed in his head, sounding annoyed but betraying a certain curiosity.

_**I like Cid! He's soo nice**__**!**_ The young voice commented happily. Last time they'd been together he'd given her candies… She was impossible to handle for days.

The stronger voice merely grumbled, and a soft and low sigh shadowed her.

_**Will he be coming to visit**__**?**_ The young one wondered.

_**Hyne, I hope not…**_ The strong voice grumbled. _**He's not the one that has to live with you in a sugar high…**_ A loud chuckle reverberated in his head. _**I don't think the old man can handle it either, though. You almost gave him an aneurism last time…**_

_**I didn't mean to do that…**_ The young one pouted.

_**Girls…**_ Again, the soft voice calmed and silenced the others, this time with a slightly more forceful tone.

The Headmaster and Ana reached the elevators and they opened with a _**ping**_ in seconds after pushing the call button. The two Trabians rode the elevator in silence, each with their minds wondering on the possible significance of the letter meant for the Headmaster.

_Is it possible…__? Could it be time already…?_ Albert couldn't stop but wonder. Seemed like only yesterday he, Cid and Martine had gathered with NORG to set up the construction of the three Gardens. Though the original intent was to train forces towards one sole goal, the expenses, maintenance of equipment and training of those forces became a relevant issue and thus, making a mercenary force until the time came that SeeD's true purpose was necessary was created. Had it really been already ten years?

The doors of the lift opened with a new _**ping**_, signalling their arrival and both stepped out in silence, Ana walking a bit ahead of the older man. She stood near the double doors for a second as she faced the headmaster who was still lost in his thoughts.

"Headmaster…" She let out lowly, getting his attention.

"Oh, yes…. Right…" He covered, straightening his robes and standing straight. He wasn't a very tall man, he was in fact a few fingers shorter than Ana.

"Let's go greet our guests, then." He said and advanced as Ana opened the doors.

The Headmaster's office was by far the one with the best view of all of Garden. It stood a bit higher than the second level of the facility, on the back of the "swan's neck" which gave it a most wonderful view of both the rings hovering above their heads but the centre garden and fountain below. The office was even high enough that one could see above the top of the Garden and the cordillera that surrounded it, along with the tallest treetops of the winter trees scattered around the grounds. It was quite the stunning view from the high windows that covered just about every available centimetre of wall that lead outside.

The inside of the office was much like the rest of the Northern Garden, pristine white stone marble floors and walls. It also possessed a long glass desk with a high back chair with its back against the centre window, both which seemed to be rarely used. The floor was almost all covered with a large and wide clear blue carpet and over it were several cream coloured sofas, two for three people and four individuals, set in a circular fashion with a short glass table at their centre where a few plates with the remnants of food and beverages laid. Short sized but over packed bookcases were attached to every non-windowed wall that had a great variety of paintings, from landscapes, local and distant, to portraits and children's drawings.

The headmaster and Ana stepped inside the room barely noticing their familiar environment and immediately focused on the two cadets and the two SeeDs that promptly stood from the couches and saluted.

Headmaster Albert simply waved his hand around dismissively and even as the cadets relaxed immediately, the SeeDs were hesitant. The old man got to them more swiftly that they thought possible from his age, reaching his arms around them in a surprisingly forceful embrace, leaving the Balambian SeeDs at a loss for words. The headmaster

"Welcome, welcome!" The headmaster let out enthusiastically as he hugged one after the other, leaving both Maki and Vergil stunned and frozen in place. "Now, what do I do the honour of your visit…? Oh, please sit, sit." He suggested as he proceeded to sit in one of the individual seats, stretching his legs up as the recliner leaned back leaving him in a quite comical, but seemingly comfortable, position.

The cadets could barely hold their laughter at the old man's eagerness and the SeeDs' reactions. Indeed, one would be surprised if one hadn't lived with the man for over five years. It needed some accustoming to. Their amusement vanished as Ana caught their eyes, her expression a clear dismissing sign. Bowing and saluting, the two cadets excused themselves under the headmaster's smile as Ana approached the sitting area, leaning against one of the individual sofas as the SeeDs sat back down on the long couch.

"So now, lady and gentleman…" The headmaster started again once they were all sitting, Ana remaining on her feet. "I was told you have something for me…" He let his words sink in as the SeeDs suddenly remembered what they were there for.

They stood in an instant, saluting as the headmaster let go a loud sigh.

"No. No. No… Please, sit." He motioned them again towards the couch. "No need for such formalities." He continued, waving his hands dismissively as they hesitated but sat back down. "Now, I believe you have a letter for me?"

He half expected them to stand again, but the shock of meeting the so much carefree and aged headmaster had wore off and they felt more at ease, realizing the man wasn't much for formalities. The red headed woman relaxed immediately, though the man kept a rigid front. She reached to her backpack, now resting on the sofa beside them, and pulled out a small cover, removing a thin sealed envelope from within. Without standing up, she reached it over to the headmaster.

"Headmaster Cid has requested we deliver this letter to you personally. It's of the utmost urgency!" Maki stated in her chirpy voice as the Headmaster Albert reached himself for the offered missive.

"Thank you." He said with a kind smile, observing the envelope now with a more serious expression. "I'll be sure to tell him you carried your mission with paramount determination and proficiency…" He nodded off, absentminded now as he stared at the red seal of SeeD and swiftly tore it, opening the envelope and removing the few sheets of paper inside.

The room fell in a soundless mood, not even a breath, not even a heartbeat was heard as all focused on the headmaster as he read the message.

"_Dear friend:_

"_I regret to have send word to you under these circumstances but I'm afraid the situation has developed faster than we had originally anticipated. I am sure you've heard rumours of certain strange happenings in Galbadia, events that would usually not concern us apart from its source. I'm afraid the Galbadian government has aligned itself with a rising Sorceress, to the point where they have gone to the effort of proclaiming this news throughout the world. I had no way of knowing if you had been able to receive the broadcast, the World Wide Interference still in effect and despite the galbadians' attempts at nullifying it, I've learnt that there are still areas that are unable to receive the long range radio signal, specially those closer to the Estharian Continent._

"_We are still unsure of the Sorceress's identity, so I won't be able to answer the question that is probably running through your mind. All I can say is that it is possible it is her, though I hope deeply it isn't…_

"_Whatever the case, we must be prepared to act on a moment's notice, we might not have the sufficient time to prepare as we might have preferred. On an unrelated issue, a squad of SeeDs might have come in contact with the Sorceress and a confrontation might be closing in on us faster than predicted. I have also send word to Martine, though I'm sure she is more aware of the severity of the situation than even me and is certainly already planning on some pre-emptive strike of her own. That fact not withstanding, we must be wary of the situation and prepare ourselves to face the Sorceress's wrath._

"_The time has come for SeeD to arise towards its true purpose, for what we created them for. The time has come to arm ourselves, to defeat the threat of the Sorceress so that what happened twenty years ago never happen again. Whoever this Sorceress turns out to be, we must stay firm to our true purpose._

"_We must also stay alert if she decides to strike first. She would not show any leniency towards us so make sure to take the appropriate preparations and precautions. The two SeeDs I dispatched to deliver this missive to you, I leave in your care for the moment. Employ their skills as you please, they are both talented and devoted and will not leave wanting._

"_I'm sure you'll know how to act on this matter, Albert, I trust we will see this through._

"_Best compliments and wishes, from your old friend_

_Cid Kramer"_

Headmaster Albert read the letter in silence, frowning from time to time, especially at the not so subtle reference of the Sorceress's identity. He, like Cid, would prefer if their opponent was someone other than the latter's spouse, but circumstances as they were, they could not only be sure, they would have to act regardless. A Sorceress coming to power with the backup of an entire military force was not something to be taken lightly, or ignore. And if it was Edea Kramer at the wheel of this insane ride, they would have no other choice than to react.

The news that she could know of their plans was also troublesome. With the Galbadian Army under her rule, she could strike at the three Gardens simultaneous and with great forces. As Cid had mentioned, they had to be prepared. There wasn't a moment to loose.

"Ana." He spoke for the first time in almost fifteen minutes, spent reading but mostly thinking.

The woman raised her head in slight alarm, her eyes slightly widened as she stared back at the headmaster with concern and wariness. He always called her Annie, after the first day he set eyes one her, it was always Annie this, Annie that. Not in ten years did he ever call her Ana. That more than any dreary feeling or any horrific battle made her more on edge than that simple word which was none other than her own name.

"Yes, Headmaster." She replied after a second's panic. Whatever was on that letter was worse than she could have possibly feared.

"Employ Plan Alpha." He told her, gaining an even straighter pose. "Make sure all able and capable men and women are ready for a confrontation and those that aren't be ready for immediate evacuation."

"Yes, Headmaster!" She nodded as he rose from his seat, the two Balambian SeeDs following his example.

"Headmaster Albert…" Vergil started.

"I'm afraid Cid placed you two in my command for the time being." The headmaster clarified. He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "The time has come for us to fulfil SeeD's true purpose, and that may come crashing down our doors any second now. We must be prepared to defend our home and our own…" He stated to reassure them.

"We understand!" Maki chirped standing in salute with a jump.

"What would you have us do?" Vergil inquired.

"Go with Ana, she'll lead you." He replied as he approached the vast windows, keeping his back to them and Ana took her leave, motioning the foreign SeeDs to follow.

She knew when he was dismissing them, too embedded in his thoughts to signal them out.

The three young man and women exited the room then, closing the door silently behind them. Meanwhile, the Headmaster was indeed lost in his thoughts, the words read on that unwelcome pieces of paper not the only ones hammering in his mind.

_**A Sorceress, coming here? **_A strong, bulky female voice thundered in his head, her tone a mix of fear and excitement. _**Bring it on!**_

_**Is she coming over to play? **_The little, chipper voice wondered with a dreadful cheerfulness.

_**Oh yeah, sure…**_ The strong voice replied. _**We'll treat her with milk and cookies… and a Hammer up her a…**_

_**Girls…**_ The soft and serene voice sounded with a silencing edge which did not go unnoticed. _**This is no time for your nonsense. This is serious.**_ She continued, her tone never changing and never becoming harsh, though drawing some apologetic mumbles. _**Master, what will we do?**_

Headmaster Albert was just barely following the inner discussion in his head, so used was he to their antics.

_We will protect our Garden… Protect our Home and everyone in it…_ His head rose amidst his thoughts, staring seriously at his reflected image in the window's glass. His face illustrated a determined gravity he had not sported in years._ Whatever it takes…_

"We will fight!" He said outloud as if his companions were standing at his side.

The owner of the serene voice gave the equivalent of a mental nod, as her sisters replied more enthusiastically.

_**Alright!**_

_**HELL YEAH!**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The ravenous sound of battle finally started to die down within the halls of the lustrous Galbadia Garden. Now a death silence filled the grounds as the remaining SeeDs recovered from the strike.

"Connor! Status?" Headmistress Martine rushed towards the brunet young man as he talked with some senior cadets.

He turned to face her, the salute forgotten due to the chaos of the situation as his dark brown eyes frowned at her sight. He was slightly injured himself, but the older woman was bleeding heavily from her left shoulder.

"Headmistress Martine, are you alright?" He said as he stepped towards her. She merely glared at his query as she approached and seemed to ignore it past it.

"Report." She asked again as a female cadet with dark skin and dark purple hair walked over.

"Ma'am, Sir!" She saluted, gaining their attention. "The Galbadian troops have been successfully eliminated, up to the very last one!" She informed as the Headmistress turned fully to face her.

"Casualties?" She inquired and the girl's face faltered slightly.

"Two dead and six severely injured." The girl saluted back as she renewed her salute.

"Thank you, Kari…" Martine replied absentmindedly, deep in her thoughts as Connor shared a few more words with the cadet and dismissed her.

"Headmistress…" He started but the woman didn't react, almost as she didn't completely hear him. She was filled with concern she didn't know was shared by her right hand man.

"It'll be too hard on us if there's a second wave…" He voiced both their thoughts. "I think we must start considering your evacuation…" He continued after a longer pause, but was immediately cut off.

"Wha… NO!" Her angry shout echoed through the silent Garden, startling some of the recovering SeeDs and cadets. "I will not abandon my home and let it be used by that ruthless sorceress as base of her merciless ruling!"

She breathed deeply, pulling herself together from her irate outburst. She knew some of the others would prefer if she fled to safety, but she just couldn't do it. Galbadia Garden was her home and she would see to its safety, or die trying.

"Don't ever bring this up again!" She demanded.

"Yes, Headmistress." Connor replied with a bow. He had suggested that before and was met with the same reaction. He only wanted their leader to be kept safe, so that they could start over again if the Garden was lost. It would be a big blow for everyone if she ended up dead.

Still and despite her angered retort, he still couldn't help a small smile. The woman was truly fearless… and insane.

"Headmistress! Connor!" The same cadet as earlier rushed towards them from across the hall, carrying a heavy scimitar on her hands. When she got to them she was breathless.

"What is it, Kari?" Connor asked, tending to the girl.

"The next wave is approaching…" She informed, tensing her two listeners.

A second wave so soon, they were no where near ready to handle that yet. Kari kept taking in long breaths, settling herself and not moving for a moment longer.

"There's more…" She continued, cutting off their line of thought as she straightened up, her face grave with fear. "The Sorceress is at the head…"

Their eyes widened.

"Oh, shi…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Headmaster Cid sat in his office with Xu, going over the blueprints of the Garden. They were quite exact about the above ground levels, seeing as they had used them before for the occasional remodelling work, but the underground levels details were sketchy at best. Cid knew when the facility was under construction that it used to be a bunker of some kind and that meant there should be a structure in it that was impenetrable to attack. Such a formation could prove invaluable in case of a Galbadian retaliation, it would assure the safety of, at least, the younger students.

A hastened knock at the door drew them both from their analysis as they turned for it.

"Come in." The Headmaster ordered and the door swung open, revealing a short-dark-haired SeeD, who saluted and approached the desk they were hovering over.

"Sir!" Nida saluted again once he was close enough, continuing after an approving nod. "Sir, the Garden Faculty members are acting strangely. They're gathering and threatening the younger cadets and SeeDs, saying something about following the Garden Master and deposing you, sir." He informed, witnessing the reaction in his two seniors.

Xu was stunned, instinctively reaching for her sais as the Headmaster sported a tired, but not that much surprised expression.

"Seems like NORG is finally taking action…" He murmured so lowly only Xu understood him fully, Nida not getting the meaning of his words. "He's trying to take over the Garden." He clarified.

"Headmaster Cid!" Xu started. "We should evacuate you immediately! The SeeDs will clear out the trouble and cover your escape!" She stressed, Nida nodding emphatically.

"I'll inform the other SeeDs and still loyal cadets!" He suggested, gaining Xu's approval.

"And make sure the junior classmen are secure in their quarters, they mustn't get involved with the quarrel!" She added as Nida saluted and rushed out of the room to fulfil his orders.

"Headmaster, please hurry!" Xu continued, stepping towards the door in urgency. "We must get you out of here and into a safe location."

Cid nodded, starting to follow her but suddenly stopped his marsh, making the dark haired woman stop as well, turning towards him in confusion.

"I have a better idea."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Headmaster Albert walked over the marbled floor of the lobby. He had grown tired of being locked up in his office for the past couple of hours and finally decided to come down and see how the preparations for the possibly unavoidable Galbadian invasion were undergoing. That and the three voices yammering in his head… well, mostly two anyhow… were starting to annoy him.

Throughout the Garden, the sight was unrecognizable. Never had his home been so hectic… well, apart from that incident during that Christmas party a couple of years ago, where someone spiked the punch… He had never seen a room clear that quickly…

In any case, all of the Garden's inhabitants were moving around, handling supplies, safety procedures, each other, as he noticed Ana approaching.

"Everything is in order, I assume." He commented when she was close enough.

The phrase wasn't meant as a sarcastic remark, after all if there was something Albert's long years had taught him was that there could be order in chaos. His head was a perfect example of that. Still it drew an annoyed frown from the woman.

"We contacted the outer radar posts to alert us at the slightest of signals, but of course their range is greatly handicapped…" She mentioned as he motioned her to walk and talk. "In the Garden, preparations are almost complete. We should be ready for full scale evacuation in little over an hour. The cars are being loaded with supplies as we speak." She informed.

"Well, a complete evacuation is just our last resort…" The headmaster continued, trying to make out his thoughts in the middle of the voices in his head.

_**What? Are we going to run away? You said we were going to fight!**_ The tough voice screamed in his head, demanding and pouting like a five year old who was denied a trip to the Zoo…

_**It's all alright as long as we stick together! Like a road trip!**_ The young one chirped in anticipation.

The other two entities in the headmaster's head, including the headmaster himself, cringed ever so slightly in memory of the last road trip… he still had the occasional nightmare about it.

_**If we're going on a road trip, I'm going on someone else's head! **_The strong voice replied hurriedly. _**No way I'm spending Hyne-knows-how-long with her in a car. I still have that song in my head from the last time… And it was almost twenty years ago!**_

Albert cringed as he also remembered all too well about the tune the young one had yammered for hours on end, and cursed himself for thinking about it knowing full well it would be shadowing his every thought, unable now to prevent the recollection of the lyrics.

_Just keep driving, driving, driving. Just keep driving, driving all the way. HEY! Sing it again!_

_Just keep driving…_

But all his efforts came too late…

_**Oh! I love that song!**_ The chirpy one continued, ignoring the dangerous and terrified aura emanating from the ones whose mind she shared, and starting to sing along excitedly.

_**Just keep driving, driving, driving…**_

_**NO! Stop that!**_ The rougher one demanded, all but begged as she covered her ears with her heavy hands, a purely instinctive gesture as it was useless. The sound wasn't coming from the exterior of her, not that she had any in her current state. How do you silence a voice in your head?

However, the young one kept singing as she hadn't heard a word.

…_**driving all the way. Hey! Sing it again! Just…**_

A loud and harsh growl echoed in the old man's head, though unfortunately not grave enough to halt or muffle the singing.

_**You two, knock it off!**_ The serene voice interjected, not as serene as it once was, being promptly and thoroughly ignored as the singing continued.

…_**driving, driving. Just keep driving…**_

_**She started it!**_ The tough one grumbled and wailed, the singing echoing in the background. _**See! She isn't even stopping, she just keeps at it! **_She complained as the song only seemed to grow in volume.

… _**Just keep driving, driving…**_

_**Make her stop or by Hyne, I will!**_

… _**all the way. Hey!...**_

_**Now girls, both of you ease up.**_ The calm one tried to infer, but her own calm was creeping through the corners.

_**It's her fault!**_ The strong one pouted.

…_**driving, driving…**_

_**Girls, c'mon…**_

… _**Just keep driving, driving all…**_

_**I can't take this anymore!**_

_**Sing it again!**_

"SILENCE!"

The shout echoed throughout Headmaster Albert's mind and the grounds of Trabia Garden and, as requested, silence ensued. Not even a whisp of wind dared to make a whisper, the quietness only short of absolute from the soft murmur of the hovering rings.

Inside his mind, the three women were silently startled, more quiet than in all their years of presence inside the aged man – and they have been there for quite a while. Outside the scenery repeated itself. Ana stared wide eyed at the Headmaster, as she hadn't witnessed such an outburst in a very long time. She stood with the Balambian SeeDs and a couple of cadets that were awaiting further instructions. Albert hadn't even noticed the gathering, so distracting was the happenings in his mind.

Everyone in earshot, which was just about the entire population of Garden, stopped what they were doing but resumed it soon after, for the most part. Every Trabian reasoned what was most likely to have happened though, just like Ana thought, it hadn't happened in a while. Most returned to their duties with a smile on their lips, wondering the kind of little sisterly quarrel had just taken place in the headmaster's head.

As the activities returned to the peculiar normal of a few minutes before, only Ana and the foreign still stared at the older man, one in wondering curiosity, the others in question of sanity. The following, and rather childish, rolling of dark blue eyes told Ana all she needed to know. _"Silly girls…"_ So, as to spare further embarrassment, she turned to the SeeDs and cadets near her, getting their attention and resuming their discussions.

The sound of heavy and hurried footsteps drew them from the SeeDs conversation, as well from a well deserved mental sermon, as one of the earlier cadets, Meg, rushed over to their positions.

"Headmaster, Ana!" The girls aired between heavy breaths, drawing them to the seriousness of her information.

Both silently encouraged her to go on as she recovered her bearings.

"Sir, Ma'am, we received word from one of our outer radar stations, the north-eastern base by the coast." Their focused stare ordered her to continue. "They have picked up something coming from the East!"

"The Galbadian Armada?" Ana wondered in controlled alarm. That was the closest station to the Galbadian territory and as such, the best located to watch their movements.

"Not exactly…" Meg corrected, not even trying to disguise the alarm in her voice.

"Speak up, girl!" He headmaster tried to encourage her with a forced patient toned that still seemed to calm the young cadet.

"Sir, they picked up on several unidentified flying objects heading towards the continent at great speed." She paused to catch her breath and continued. "At their current trajectory and velocity, they should arrive _here_ in approximately thirty minutes."

The colour on Ana's face, and everyone else that heard her words, washed off as surprise and horror ensued with the realization of the new piece of information.

"They aren't sending men to invade us…" Ana murmured, composing herself as best as she could as to not alarm the other students as the group was suddenly and again the centre of everyone's attention.

"They are sending missiles to destroy us." The low and uncharacteristic emotionless voice of the headmaster droned out.

The way that statement was made was even a darker omen than him calling her 'Ana'.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, refusing to surrender to the possibility of total and unavoidable annihilation. There had to be something they could do. "Sir, we are already working as fast as we can, but the preparations will not be completed in time to assure the safety of every evacuee. Sir!" She stressed slightly as he seemed lost in thought.

"I know." He stated, his eyes unfocused as he concentrated in his thoughts. "We can't run… so we'll hide."

His eyes rose and focused on Ana's narrowed ones, oblivious to all the widened stared that surrounded them. He almost forgot all the others were there.

"You're talking about the underground tunnels and bunker." She said more than asked. "Can they stand a direct attack of this magnitude?"

"They will have to. It's our only option." Albert sighed out.

Trabia Garden, like the remaining Gardens, had been built over an advanced shelter of some sorts, reminiscence of some lost Centran structure combined with Shumi ingenuity. Truth be told, their origins were unknown and uncertain, but he hoped its sturdiness was enough.

"Start the evacuation at once and move all available supplies underground!" He ordered in a tone he rarely used. Its authority made all stand in attention.

"Yes, sir!" Ana saluted, turning towards the others. "You heard the headmaster's orders." Her command made for an immediate scatter of the personnel as the regimented chaos enveloped Garden once more.

The scenery was like a mirror of the one of a few minutes ago, only Ana stood still on her spot, her eyes on the headmaster in an apparent serene stance.

"Will it be enough?" She said barely above a whisper, her words meant only for his ears.

"I can't risk it won't." He answered honestly, to the woman's confusion and suspicion, while an insane plan started shaping in his head, drawing the attention of his inner companions.

_**Can we do that?**_ The young female voice echoed in his head, divided between a question and an affirmation. They certainly had never tried that one before.

_**ALRIGHT! That's what I'm talking about!**_ The tougher one cheered in anticipation, boosting the youngest confidence.

_**O-Okay…**_ She chirped a bit hesitantly, but taking her lead. _**Let's do it!**_

The serene entity mentally nodded her agreement as the four of them worked on the details of their plan.

"Sir?" Ana's voice snapped him temporarily from their discussion. He had forgotten she was there.

"We are starting the evacuation as we speak." She added suggestively. "We should be done just under the deadline." She meant it all too literally.

"Good." He replied, his mind still wandering. "Lock the blast doors when everyone is safely inside." He added and Ana didn't miss the innuendo.

"Sir!" She started in alarm as she guessed the older man's intentions, but he didn't allow her to continue.

"There will be no arguments." He stated in his rarely used but impressively authoritarian tone, leaving no room for dispute and ending the discussion before it could start.

Still she struggled to add something.

"Tend to your duties, Ana." His harsh, if yet commanding tone cut her attempts short as he started to walk away.

Ana knew then that it was indeed over, nothing she could do or say would make him change his plans. As she motioned to walk away he halted and half turned.

"I just remembered something." He said and stopped, making her wonder if she should ask what, but he soon continued. "Raise the wings, it should provide some additional protection." He added and walked away towards the lobby, falling soon out of sight.

He was long gone when Ana reacted from her frozen stance, bowing slightly to an empty hall.

"Yes, sir."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Headmaster Albert climbed the side of the mountain with skill and speed unusual even for a young man, let alone one of his advanced age. He reached the top of the of the north-eastern part of the cordillera just twenty minutes after leaving the grounds of Trabia Garden with few knowing his endeavours. Annie knew and disapproved, obviously, but there wasn't any other choice. His own safety was down in his propriety list when his home and his children were in danger.

As he stopped at a snow bank on the top of the mountain, his eyes shifted from the northeast, general direction of the unbound missiles, and focused on the structure behind and below him. What a breathtaking sight it was from that spot. Just as he marvelled, the side extensions of the main structure began to shutter, the sound of unused cogs and bolts reaching even his position.

The extensions shook tremendously as they began to rise, slowly but steadily, two from each side ascended so that the lower and slightly smaller, was a couple metres off the ground. If it was a sight before, now it was stunning. Now it really looked like a swan, with its wings half risen.

In addition to the enhanced beauty the procedure had provided, it also signalled the Headmaster that the preparations were finally done and everyone was safely underground.

_**I almost forgot how it looked like with the wings**__** up…**_ The serene voice let out, captivated by the beautiful scenery.

_**Yeah… so pretty**_! The chirpy one concurred, calmer than she had ever been before.

_**Just like a big ass swan.**_ The strong one added and despite her use of words, all knew she was as marvelled by its beauty as they were.

_I just hope it still stands there tomorrow…_ Albert couldn't help but hope as he turned his back to his home and focused on the direction of the incoming attack. His eyes gazed upon the long and wide snow field, noting that it now represented the battlefield for his Garden's survival.

He stood straight from his position as his hands went to his robes and pulled out a beautifully carved walking stick with embossed carvings and unintelligible writing, holding it above ground with both hands.

"This is your time." He solemnly said, like a ritual and a request.

"Do what you must, what you are meant to…" he raised the staff higher, "… to protect our Home!" he shouted then slammed his staff onto the ground.

The rocks beneath him shook slightly as a pulse of energy left the point of contact with the stick at the same time as four coloured disks hovered above ground around the headmaster. The three behind him formed an equilateral triangle, one of each primal colours – red, blue and yellow – as directly in front of him was a slightly wider multi-coloured one. The last one began to shimmer more fiercely, starting to rise off the snowy ground as certain objects materialized below its spin. As the coloured disk dissipated high above the headmaster's head, four weapons rested in front of Headmaster Albert. A long red-poled spear with a shimmering platinum blade, a large and heavy blue, purple and silver hammer, set head down with an embossed inverted M, and a pair of twin sharp golden hand-blades.

"Come forth…" he started again as the disks behind him began to spin more rapidly, "Magus!"

The red circle began to glitter and rise, creating a type of shimmering, red thread curtains that wavered unnaturally. Then they moved as something leaned against them before they parted below, revealing a long and thin red armoured leg, the boots reaching up her left thigh. Then the rest of her followed. As she stepped through the portal, her long, white satin gown wavered in the wind, with two splits reaching almost to her waist and allowing her free movement. Her right leg, unlike her left, was stripped bare apart from a red ankle boot, as it happened with her arms, the left wearing an armoured glove that covered above her shoulder as her left sported a simple, red leather armoured glove that reached just over her wrist. Over her white gown, under her chest she had a smooth, red armoured plating that adapted to her tall and thin shape perfectly. Long, straight red hair fell behind her flawlessly, reaching all the way to her knees. Her face, another symbol of pristine perfection, her serious dark red eyes contrasting with her pale skin and over her forehead she wore a platinum tiara with a large oval red gem.

The tall woman walked graciously, stepping to the right of the headmaster, that remained motionless throughout the whole summoning, reaching forward towards the pile of weapons and picking up the long spear, twirling it twice in her right hand before setting it don to her side.

At that moment, the blue circle began to flicker, and as before, it also rose, creating this time, shimmering, blue thread curtains. Once the disk dissipated, something large leaned against the curtains, but they didn't part immediately as they settled again. Less than a second afterwards, something touched them again and they finally opened revealing first a heavy armoured silver and purple glove. Then, stepping sideways, the rest of the heavy and bulky woman all but squeezed through the portal's too thin a frame. The woman stumbled slightly as she finally made it through, she wore heavy, full body armour, of shades of silver and blue and with a large purple M on her mid-section plating and she also had a knee length dark blue, sleeveless coat. She had short, wild dark blue hair, almost black, held off her dark blue eyes by a silver armoured headset. Her skin was as pale as the first woman and had on the belt on her waist, an equally large, this time blue, oval gem.

After composing herself from her clumsy entrance, the woman stepped behind the headmaster, her right hand reaching around him and taking hold of the staff of the heavy hammer. She lifted it up as if it was lighter than a feather and set it heavily over her shoulders.

Finally, the last circle began to shimmer and rise till equally yellow curtains rose high. For a moment nothing moved the curtains, apart from their unnatural wavering, then suddenly something considerably smaller than in the previous cases, all but jumped through the portal, landing with a flip in the left side of the headmaster. The figure straightened up, a big smile on her face, revealing the third sister to be a mere child, no older than eleven in appearance. Her colours were mostly yellow and several shades of brown, light brown leather shorts, elbow and knee pads, dark brown leather boots, gloves and straps over her waist, with a few yellow outlines, as well as a brown headset, with two cavities to allow her two large, golden pigtails to flow out. Her skin was fair, and her golden bangs almost covered her large amber eyes. She also wore a long and thick scarf with gradient colours, from yellow in the ends, which wavered behind her like a couple of wings, to strong orange wrapped around her neck, almost covering the only armoured part of her attire, a golden chest piece with a large oval yellow gem in the centre.

The little girl kneeled over the last weapons remaining of the pile, twirling the golden hand-blades on her hands with great speed and expertise. She then raised her left hand into the air in a ready sign as she smile greatly.

The team was set, making a perfect equilateral triangle around the headmaster, the Magus Sisters stood ready to receive and carry out their orders.

And then, suddenly over the horizon, several dots appeared shiny dots as they reflected the shine of the sun. At first there were only a few but soon the whole opposing sky was filled with them as the missiles made their approach. The women tensed as did the headmaster. He barely moved apart from raising his staff again and, as he slammed it back into the ground, the three sisters were gone.

The thin in red armour, Sandy, rushed down the mountain at an impossible speed; the large one, Cindy, started running to the side, following the mountain formation that stretched north and delimitated the east side of the snowfield as the short one, Mindy, leaped high into the air, floating above in the sky as her scarf served as wings. From different directions and with different speeds, the Magus approached the incoming threat.

Sandy was the first to reach the missile's frontline as she sped through the snowfield. She halted, bending her knees and propelling herself upwards at amazing speed, reaching the front rockets in seconds. Bringing her spear up, she cut clean through the first missile, it only exploding while she was already reaching the second. This time she merely stabbed her spear in it, loosing the initial momentum from her jump, she flipped the missile around so she could stand on top and dislodged her weapon. The rocket's circuitry flickered and protested to the damage as its systems began to fail and it started to loose speed and height. Sandy was already off the missile, leaping into a new one and stabbing her spear, twirling the rocket, but this time she didn't manoeuvred to stand on it, instead she made so it would collide with a nearby one, blowing on contact and dragging another one with them as she safely landed on another one.

Cindy kept running alongside the top of the mountains, getting closer to the missile front as the remaining continued their advance.

That's when Mindy made her move. Still hovering high above the ground as she neared the missile front, she suddenly broke into a deep dive, weapons set in front of her, she reached the first missile and cut clear through it, rolling in mid air before landing lightly on a rocket below. She steadied herself as the blast wave of the explosion above threw it off track and into another projectile. The girl was already running the length of the missile, leaping off its tail in a horizontal trajectory towards the one directly behind her. She twirled on herself, gaining spinning momentum as she brought her blades up. Her attack resembled a drill as it slammed against the missile and completely tore it to shreds, the subsequent explosion only propelling her towards another rocket that received the same treatment. After the second one, she rolled mid air, landing lightly and feet first on the nose of another missile.

As Sandy and Mindy disposed some of the many inbound missiles, Cindy kept running over the mountain tops. Finally reaching the front of the rocked strike force, the bulky woman made an impossibly hard left turn, taking her to the edge of the cliff. She raised her heavy hammer over her head as she leaped, with surprising ease and elevation, into the air.

On one of the rockets, Sandy halted her attacks, focusing suddenly on her right and immediately jumped down from her position, not even bothering to disable the missile she was on. Seeing her sister's actions, Mindy looked over the same way she had and instantly bailed out of her own missile, leaping into the air as her scarf's long extensions caught the wind and took her away.

They left just in time as Cindy descended upon the front missile, swinging her hammer down with amazing force. The rocket exploded immediately on contact, and an intense shockwave resulted from the impact blowing up every missile on its destructive path.

Sandy landed graciously on the snow below, followed by Mindy's light landing and both girls looked up to see their sister's devastating attack. They moved out of the way just as she crashed next to them, splashing snow all around her.

"**Smooth…**" Mindy let out jokingly as her BIG sister climbed out of the not that small a crater her landing created.

"**Shut it, short stuff.**" Cindy replied, annoyed as she stood much taller than the little girl.

"**Girls…**" Sandy's cutting tone stopped the argument before it could become one.

As it rained scorched metal parts, a continuing whooshing sound made the three sisters look up. Soaring through the explosion cloud hovering above in the sky, around a dozen missiles thundered over their heads heading towards Garden. Even as the Sisters were able to eliminate the biggest part of the threat, the surviving rockets could completely decimate their Home.

"**Geez… talk about overkill!**" Cindy commented. "**She must really not like us.**"

"**What do we do now?**" Mindy asked in alarm, the constant smile and cheerfulness completely disappearing from her face.

_Return immediately._ The Headmaster's orders echoed in the three girls' heads as their bond kept their minds linked despite their corporeal state and distance. _Hurry back and prepare your defence over the cordillera._

The Magus shared an alarmed look though they obeyed and rushed back, rapidly catching up with the missiles pace with Mindy jumping high in the air, Sandy sprinting at great speed and Cindy following a bit behind.

_**If we make the Net, any missile hitting it could…**_ Cindy started but was soon interrupted by a shrieking cry.

_**NO! **_Mindy wailed. _**Garden can't handle that!**_ She stressed.

_**The missiles won't destroy Garden, We will!**_ Cindy concluded, not at all pleased.

_Just do what I've ordered!_ Alfred cut all the discussion. _Worry about the missiles, I'll take care of the rest._ He added, leaving the girls perplexed.

_**Master…**_ Sandy started, realising his intentions.

Her sisters were about to argue, them picking up on the older sister's thoughts, but the Headmaster's authoritarian thoughts halted every attempt.

_We must save Garden! Save everyone, n__o matter the cost!_ He emphasized and no one dared to defy him. _So do your job as ordered!_

The harshness of his tone hurt the three sisters and Albert knew it, despite their attempts to hide it from him.

_**Yes, Master.**_ Both Sandy and Mindy replied in unison, hurrying towards the mountains as Cindy kept quiet though never slowing down.

Orders were orders, and they could not disobey their master… no matter how much they wanted to. So, as Headmaster Albert started climbing down the mountain with impressive speed and skill, heading back towards the grounds of the Garden, the Sisters caught up and surpassed the missiles before they reached the mountain range.

Sandy was the first to reach it, never slowing down as she all but sprinted up the mountain, keeping her speed as she reached the ledge on top of the mountain and leaping over its length, landing opposite from her original position and finally stopping. She turned, stabbing her spear on the ground beside her and steadied herself, concentrating as she raised her hands to her head, setting them over her tiara, fingertips touching the edge of the large red gem as it began to glow.

Cindy was a bit behind, reaching the bottom of the mountain and starting to climb it as Mindy landed on the side of the mountain, across from Sandy. She dropped her blades at her feet and she too readied herself, adjusting her scarf so she could made the yellow gem on her chestpiece visible as she set her small hands on its side as it too started to shimmer.

Cindy finally reached the summit, standing in position so that the three sisters formed an equilateral triangle over the cordillera and Trabia Garden. The large woman carelessly tossed her heavy hammer aside, standing in position with her hands grabbing her belt buckle as the blue gem inserted in it began to glow.

With the Magus in position, their gems gleamed in resonance and, as the missiles approached the final metres toward the mountains, two coloured beams shot out from each of the gems, red, blue and yellow respectively, in perfect 60 degree angles and heading towards the other two sisters. The beams collided in pairs, forming shimmering, empowered threads as, from the joining point, two more beams shot out towards the inside, again forming 60 degree angled and different coloured beams, purple, green and orange, respectively. And again, the coloured beams collided, forming multicoloured beams that, when colliding again, formed primal coloured beams again, red, blue and yellow. And so the process continued, forming a triangular net called Delta Net, the most powerful joint defence the Sisters could create.

The missiles reached the mountain range, rising up into the air for the final strike and the Delta Net was still incomplete.

The first wave dove in, two missiles impacted directly on the still forming Net, exploding on contact and sending strong vibrations coursing through the empowered light threads as one merely nicked the side of a forming beam, destabilizing and crashing down on the mountain side. Two of the missiles made a clean break, however, heading straight down towards Garden. One of them collided immediately on the hovering rings, the impact and subsequent explosion rocking the entire structure and almost throwing down the high tower that held the rings. The other one missed the ring debris, blowing on contact with the right extended wing, the impact throwing part of the construction flying off while damaging the main structure.

Just as the first missiles hit, a new wave followed suit.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Albert reached the bottom of the mountain and was practically at arms range of the outer walls, when the first missiles came down.

He looked up in alarm, seeing the Sisters' defensive Net stopping two of the missiles but realizing immediately that it would not hold the entire wave of attacks. One of the surviving rockets impacted on the mountain side opposite from him but two others hit the Garden, to his great horror.

The headmaster ducked down near the walls as the debris flew all over the cordillera. From the fragments and the sound of the explosion, Albert figured the missiles had hit the outer extensions and not the main structure. That was good news, for now anyways, but he could not be distracted as his mind moved to more pressing matters.

He could do nothing about the missiles, that was up to his trusty Guardians. His job laid elsewhere. He knew perfectly well that using the protective Delta Net had consequences, mainly the vibrations affecting the structural integrity of the snow currently attached to the mountain's sides. The place where the missile had hit opposite of his position had already released some of it and he knew than a massive avalanche was eminent. These walls where he now supported himself were not enough to handle the whole mountain caving down on them, not yet.

Albert set his hands on the walls, channelling all of his energy, one gathered throughout his many years, on them and the surrounding snow. Such was his concentration that the following explosions of impacting missiles, along with the alarmed and cursing voices of the Sisters, went deaf in his ears and mind.

The snows covering the ground around the walls started to stir then, moving towards the base of the wall as if they were being magnetically pulled towards and up their length. The snows climbed the walls and started to solidify into thick ice above them, increasing their total height.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Delta Net was practically closed now, but still two missiles made it through on the second wave. One hit and destroyed most of the right side of the main structure as the other one had a near miss with the left wing and penetrated the left side of the Garden without detonating.

The Sisters strained from the vibrations of the impacts in their Net as their potency started to disturb the snow beneath their positions, threatening to cause a massive avalanche, one the Garden in its current situation, had no chance to withstand. But they couldn't afford to worry about that as the Delta Net was finally closed and the last wave descended upon them.

The last missile wave had the most Net impacts than ever before, but still one managed to escape destruction by passing through one of the outer, and hence wider, webbings and continued towards Garden impacting and destroying most of the Training Centre.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hurry up!" Ana called out to the last group of SeeDs and cadets that crossed the underground tunnels towards the bunker.

The structure had already rocked from the impact of the first missiles and even though it had been much less intense than Ana and many others expected, it was still felt from their position, a few metres into the ground.

They were almost at the heavy armoured doors when a stronger and closer explosion threw them all off their footing, shaking the tunnels and even the bunker.

"C'MON!" Ana stressed just as a new, much powerful explosion rocked the entire structure, threatening the structural integrity of their surroundings.

The screams of everyone underground were muffled by the crashing thundering of the collapsing tunnels…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The vibrations on the Delta Net were more intense than before, much more than the mountains could handle after so much punishment already. The snow banks broke free, starting to roll down the mountains with increasing speed.

The headmaster collapsed by the walls, completely drained and incapable to move but successful in enhancing the walls by several metres. He half turned and looked up when sound returned to his awareness and the thundering blare that surrounded him was over thrown by the panicked shouts of three female voices in his head.

The massive avalanche fell onto the grounds, crashing onto the higher walls that were barely able to sustain the sheer strength of the impact, parts of it cracking and giving in faced with the pressure of tons of snow. Till they could no longer withstand it and gave in, allowing the snow entrance to the grounds and the wounded swan…

From a distance, over the bare mountains range, a thread of smoke rose into the air where Trabia Garden once stood…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Strong, booted footsteps echoed the now silent halls of Galbadia Garden, followed by the practically inaudible sound of the gliding figure behind him.

"Very well, my Knight." The ghastly and entrancing voice of Sorceress Edea sounded as Seifer turned and kneeled before her.

Edea looked around her, watching with disdain the many unmoving corpses that littered the once pristine marbled floors.

"These wretched SeeDs won't hinder my plans any further." She added.

"Yes, my Sorceress." Seifer replied with a bow as he stood and looked behind her to the incoming Galbadian soldiers that started to invade and occupy the grounds, searching for survivors and already disposing of the bodies.

Following the barely noticeable nod from his master, the Knight bowed again as he headed for the commander of the troops.

"Report!" He demanded.

"Sir Almasy!" The man started. "We've began our search of the grounds, no survivor encountered so far. We should be done shortly, but I doubt we'll find anyone alive." He added as his eyes wandered to his surroundings, focusing on the cut and scorched remains of the Garden's defenders.

"Good…" Seifer replied and then his eyes seemed to glaze momentarily as he received new instructions. "Where're the engineers?" He asked.

"Sir!" The soldier proceeded with a salute. "The Shinra Engineers are awaiting the 'all clear' just outside the grounds."

"Very well." Seifer commented, sparing a look back towards the sorceress that appeared absentminded before he continued. "Bring them in. It's time to get this thing moving." He added and the man saluted and moved away to carry out as ordered.

Seifer's smug expression never left his face as he walked back towards his puppeteer and then continued down the hall after a silent exchange.

Edea smiled evilly as the events unfold according to her plans. With Galbadia Garden and the Galbadian Armada under her command, Ellone, that slippery child, could no longer hide and would finally fall in her hands. The sorceress's malevolent amber eyes wandered her surroundings, observing the many fallen SeeDs, focusing especially on the remains of a woman wearing an exquisite light brown gown, whose face was beyond recognition, and her mischievous smile widened.

With the Gardens either destroyed or within her grasp, nothing and no one would ever stand in her way…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The red pickup truck sped through the Balambian plains, completely disregarding any and all safety protocols as all its occupants were only concerned with one thing. Getting to Balamb Garden as soon as possible.

Schala, Zanya and Rian had arrived in Balamb Town not five minutes before, all but crashing into the train station and making so it would need some remodelling work. Good thing no one was around at that time of dawn, with the sun just peaking over the mountains on a brand new day. But they weren't thinking about the damage caused, the time of day or anything else for that matter.

They wanted to get back to Garden, make sure it was still standing, warn everyone and evacuate it as soon as possible. That was their mission, what they needed to do and the only thing in their minds.

That's why they didn't exchange a word as they ran out of the wrecked train without ever looking back. Why Zanya didn't even suggested going inside her father's house to say she was back and alright. And why they didn't even hesitate in hotwiring his car and driving off into the country side without a word or note.

They made the journey ten times faster than normal, but normal had been bent over quite a lot that day already, so, as they climbed the last hill before the Garden, all held their breaths in anticipation.

Schala brought the car to a halt on top of the hill as the first rays of light escaped the restricting mountains to the east and glittered in the hovering ring and the magnificent and intact, blue structure of Balamb Garden.

And they all released their breaths.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO_

_AN.: HELLO! Hey there, sorry for the delay… seems that the more time I have the less I write… Sorry…_

_Now, as for the UD reference in the disclaimer… well, those of you who read it will have certainly noticed the many similarities between my Trabia Garden and hers, the Swan reference and even some of the characters present in it. Well, rest assured that I had her permission to borrow certain elements from her fic… it isn't as much as a borrowing situation as a collaboration on this particular aspect, since also the drawing I have posted in the UD album for Trabia's Swan and Ana is also applied to my fic._

_Also, about the Magus Sisters' appearance, well… I wanted to save Garden, or at least the most of it, and as I though about a way to do it and using a GF for it, I remembered one of my reader's request that I use the Magus and how cool it would be to have the three of them arguing in one's head. I know I told her at the time that I wouldn't use any of the big ones, but the Sisters are just about the only ones that could pull this off, so… here they are XD._

_I hoped you liked this chapter. I said it was going to be a surprise since nothing that is present in this chapter has ever been this detailed in the game and I thought it would be cool._

_Stay tuned for the next chapter (hopefully it won't take this long…), as Schala and the others return to Balamb Garden to find it in a riot…_

_Read y'all later_

_Revir_


	29. Chapter 29: Balamb Garden

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII… but I'm not the only one ;P_

**Chapter 29 – Balamb Garden**

The pickup came to a screeching halt by the gates of Balamb Garden with its occupants practically jumping out of it in an instant.

"Thank you, Hyne!" Zanya cheered as she reached out towards the walls, hugging them as to make sure she wasn't just seeing things and the Garden was truly safe.

Rian couldn't help a smile at the sheer happiness of the tough martial artist. As a tomboy, she rarely gave away the fact she was really a girl and even that moment wasn't that much a show of her femininity. Still, it was quite a sight. Though not truly expecting to catch such a reaction from the other female SeeD, the Owls' Boss still released a disappointed sigh as his gaze shifted to her.

Schala exited the truck with the same characteristic serious expression, a not so light of a frown adorning her features as her eyes scanned the Garden and their surroundings.

_Something feels off…_ She thought, looking ahead to the closed access to the parking lot. It wasn't usually closed but it was also not unheard of. It wasn't just that that gave her a feeling of misplacement. She could sense something was still off even as the Garden still stood as before.

_The missiles could still be on their way… There's no way of knowing if they made it… if…_ She shook her head out of these thoughts. Maybe that was what was bothering her. There was indeed no way of knowing their fate, if they had stopped the missiles or if she had sent them to their deaths. She willed those thoughts away, it was not a time to dwell on them. Maybe later. Till knowing otherwise, they had to act as if the missiles were still heading towards Garden.

There was no time to lose.

"Come on." She said as she hurried inside the grounds, snapping the others from their thoughts. "Garden may still be in danger. We must find the Headmaster." She said, her tone never rising above her usual as she rushed inside, the others close behind her.

They had run a few metres through the entrance when some loud noises reached their ears and, as they climbed atop the staircase just before entering Garden's main building, they stopped.

_What' a…?_

The grounds were involved in chaos. SeeDs and cadets were running around aimlessly. Schala could have sworn she saw some monsters from the Training Centre running amok and, directly in front of the stunned teens, a Garden Faculty Member seemed to be pointing out towards the others.

"Go on, move!" He ordered, the closer cadets rushing their pace. "Find the Headmaster!"

The teens shared a look among themselves. Could it be possible they already knew? That the confusion was just the evacuation of personnel and students? It might have seem that way from afar but something was very wrong.

"Seize him!" The Faculty member continued, drawing frowns from the wide eyed teens. "Kill him if you have to!"

_Something's definitely off._ Schala couldn't help but wonder as she stepped forwards and the faculty member turned around, probably hearing her approach.

"You three," The man started, his eyes narrowing in suspicion even as they remained veiled by his large yellow hat, "which side are you on?"

Their faces turned to each other in confusion. _Side? What is he going on about?_

"Answer the question!" He all but yelled. "Are you with the Garden Master, or are you with Cid!?" He demanded.

_I don't understand…_ Schala thought. He wasn't making any sense. All around them the cadets were fighting each other or facing other SeeDs. Thinking on what they were there to warn them about, what could be heading towards that very place all that fighting, whatever the reason behind it, felt pointless.

"The hell you talking about?" Zanya couldn't help herself any longer. She didn't get what was going on and her self control was going haywire. It was just too much happening at the same time.

"Do you swear your allegiance to Garden Master NORG?" The man asked, giving an unknown name to an unrecognised position.

It didn't help the SeeDs understand what the blazes was going on and, seeing the two women were as confused as him, made Rian feel not so left out for not getting it either.

"Or do you follow that conniver Cid?" He continued and this time the frowns returned to their faces.

They might not know what was going on, but the headmaster was everything but what he claimed.

"What is going on here?" Schala finally spoke up, her low and chilling tone almost making him step back as her eyes narrowed, demanding and answer.

Her stance made him more than uneasy and even as the only male of the group stood a bite more behind, the blonde girl followed the other one's lead and stepped up, her fists closed tightly in irritation as she too wanted the answer to that question.

"I-I'm the one asking the questions here!" He managed to let out with the minimal stuttering. "Y-You're just supposed to follow orders!"

Yes, SeeDs followed orders. But it was Cid who said: _"I don't want you all to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves."_ And they would not allow themselves to be bossed around with no reason when a serious and devastating threat was coming towards them.

The hell with orders…

Schala stepped forward, her darkly narrowed eyes still expecting an answer to her earlier query. She hated having to repeat herself. Next to her, Zanya cracked her knuckles loudly. She never liked the bossy Faculty members, fact enhanced when they took her T-board away from her.

"H-Hey! What kind of attitude is that!?" The man's fear turned to defiance and supremacy. "You're with Cid, aren't you!?" He asked in anger and didn't even give time for the teens to reply.

"You dare go against the true ruler of the Garden?!? DIE!!!" He shouted, catching the SeeDs by surprise as he pulled out a whistle and blew on it.

No sound came from his effort and Zanya snickered, believing it failed whatever he was trying to do. Rian knew better.

"Watch out!" He called out and Schala pushed Zanya out of the way just as a Grendel leaped from the bushes and landed heavily where the girls had stood not two seconds before.

They registered through the corner of their eyes as the Faculty member fled the scene towards the inside of the Garden but their attention needed to stay with the opponent at hand and they could not afford to deviate it.

The Grendel roared a bark like snarl and charged at the girls, trying to bite and swipe its dark claws at them but missing as they both jumped to opposite sides. The monster rolled on its paws looking for its targets, zeroing on the closest that just happened to be Rian. With Cardinal already drawn, the young man was barely able to bring it up to protect himself from the Tail Blade swipe that still knocked him down to the ground.

The Grendel never had the time to strike again at his fallen form as he was overrun by a charging Zanya, sending it flying a couple of metres, landing on its back, completely exposed. Schala didn't lose any time and with Revolver already drawn, she rushed over to the beast and slashed it through its length, practically cutting it in two.

The monster grumbled one more time before resting motionless on the paved ground.

Rian stood from the ground, nodding as Zanya checked up on him as Schala remained silent and looking around the grounds.

_What is going on…?_ Her mind was assaulted by the chaos surrounding her.

Balamb Garden, her home was unrecognizable. The calmness, the order, the silence… all of it was in shambles, chaotic and in utter disarray. She didn't know how to feel.

Her eyes widened suddenly, her memory travelling back to that fatidic day – one of them at least – in Timber when they were about to make an assault on the TV Station. She remembered vividly the moment when Rian stopped on the catwalk over the train tracks…

"_The trains have stopped running…" Rian had said lowly, his voice betraying a tinge of sadness. "It's so silent, it barely feels like Timber. There's always so much sound, the trains running throughout the town, all the time…" His eyes had narrowed as he remembered_ the _Galbadians were to blame for all the changes Timber had undergone._

_To his surprise, Schala had stepped to his side. Not only had he assumed she'd keep moving, or at least remained silent or rushing him on, he hadn't expected the girl to look so thoughtful towards his words._

_Schala looked over the track lines beneath them, his words sinking in closer to home than she'd care to admit. She was so used Garden's organized structure and Balamb Town's quiet ambience… she honestly couldn't imagine them in an uproar, confusion or otherwise radically different. She couldn't begin to imagine how such a change would feel like._

It felt ironic to have had such thoughts before and finding Garden in the state it now was.

"Schala?" Rian's voice echoed inside and out of her mind and for a moment Schala believed to be still relieving her memories as the calling replayed on the exact moment as she remembered it. Her eyes immediately refocused on her surroundings as her mind forced the memories back into her subconscious. She had to stay focused.

"You ok?" Rian asked as he stepped forward, worried since the girl hadn't moved for a while now. But he never got an answer as Zanya interjected.

"C'mon, let's go!" She shouted back at them as she was already halfway inside Garden's main building.

Rian still spared a look back at Schala but she was back to normal and also running towards the entrance. After a couple of seconds, he followed in after them.

The inside of the Garden was as bad as the outside, if not worse. Heavy battle sounds were heard from every wing and in the main lobby, SeeDs and cadets faced off fiercely. Benches and plant vases were smashed, even the entrance gateway had been blown out of its hinges. The formations and fountains on the centre of the main structure were damaged and spilling water all around the once pristine floors, now wrecked and covered in debris…

Zanya stopped halfway in the lobby and the other two teens stopped behind her. The blonde martial artist seemed ready to crack, trembling furiously. Rian's eyes shifted from woman to the other and even as Schala didn't show any physical signs of distress, her eyes seemed to be at a loss.

So many familiar faces, faces that she didn't know that well but that could still picture laughing and talking among themselves were now fighting each other. Their faces were no longer happy and peaceful but dangerous and threatening. She was used to see that in a battlefield, to see it in her companions' faces and their enemies as they faced off.

She could hardly bear seeing it in her home.

"Hey, you're back!" The call out was enough to snatch the two women out of the edge before they snapped as the two of them turned in the direction of the familiar rough voice, coming down the stairs from the main elevator with accompanied by his usually monosyllabic partner.

Raijin and Fujin rushed over to meet them, with Rian a bit apprehensive of the odd pair – a big, highly muscled dark skinned man and a petite albino woman – but who said nothing, especially after Zanya broke out to meet them.

"Raijin! Fujin!" She said as she joined them halfway, both groups moving between the battles with little interference.

She almost hugged them, such was her happiness upon seeing someone else not involved in fighting their own. She did grasp Raijin's offering hand in a powerful handshake, one that would most probably have broken any other hand besides those two.

"What's going on here?" Schala cut through the pleasantries before they even started, her and Rian having matched Zanya's advances in the lobby.

The five teens now stood in front of each other.

"I'm not sure…" Raijin started, recovering quickly from the reunion and equal happiness at seeing old companions, especially after the circumstance of their last meeting.

After a quick glance at Fujin, he continued.

"At first they were sayin' somethin' 'bout roundin' up the SeeDs, ya know?" He continued, eyes wide as he remembered the whole thing.

A group of cadets was called up by the Faculty members and ordered to find and depose the Headmaster in the name of the Garden Master NORG. No one knew what they were going all about and no one was taking them seriously till they threatened everyone that disobeyed with expulsion.

"_Start with rounding up all of the SeeDs, Cid's personal guard. After that, there will be no escape for him! GO and dispose of everyone that stands in your way!"_ They had added.

No one knew exactly what was going on and, faced with expulsion, many saw no other choice than siding with the so called Garden Master. Of course there were always the resilient ones that refused and first chance they got went immediately to warn the SeeDs of the Faculty Members' plotting and hence giving the Headmaster time to escape and the SeeDs time to make that happen.

Raijin and Fujin hadn't taken a side when all hell broke loose. There was so much confusion so fast they hadn't known how to react. All they kept thinking was how they wished Seifer was there… he'd know what to do. And they would follow.

"Now, everyone's either sidin' with the Garden Master or the headmaster and fightin' everywhere, ya know!?" Raijin stressed, the situation upsetting him greatly.

"DISTURBING." Fujin almost shouted, making Rian, that was unused to her speech pattern, to step back in surprise. The SeeDs ignored his fright as they focused on the albino woman before turning back to Raijin as he continued.

"Kinda disappointin' for the Disciplinary Committee actually." He added as an afterthought. "All our hard work for nothin', ya know!?"

Schala ignored that last comment, her mind racing.

"Why are the SeeDs being targeted?" She wondered mostly thinking out loud. "And where's the headmaster? Is he safe?" She asked as the memory of the incoming missiles resurfaced in her conscious.

"They're saying the SeeDs are with Headmaster Cid so they must be taken out too, ya know!?" Raijin replied. "As for the headmaster, we got no clue." He added.

Schala didn't seem satisfied with his answer.

"It all happened so fast, ya know!?" Raijin continued under the SeeD's demanding eyes. "The Faculty Members were on the move and the SeeDs were gathering all around Garden. They must have hidden him somewhere, but no one knows exactly where, ya know!?"

"We need to see him right away." Schala emphasized. "It's important."

Fujin stared at her inquisitively. What could be more important then what was going on there, all the fighting…? Schala caught the wonder in her eyes and hesitated. Fujin and Raijin were with Seifer all the time and they would probably be with him now if Quentin hadn't ordered their return.

Would they have joined him? Would they turn on SeeD and Garden? Would they ever have to fight on opposing sides?

Schala shook her head slightly, clearing her mind. No point in dwelling in Ifs and Whens. They had bigger problems now. And for the time being, it was clear their loyalties lied with Garden. That's all she needed to know at this point.

"The Galbadians have launched missiles at Garden. They may be heading this way as we speak!" She said not too loud as to not be heard by the other battling SeeDs and Cadets.

Schala, Zanya and Rian watched as realization and panic quickly spread over Raijin's face. Fujin merely widened her reddish eyes, her face betraying no emotion.

"WHAT!?" Raijin's shout echoed in the halls over the sounds of battle that surrounded them.

Some halted their moves but quickly restarted their fighting, the Faculty members inciting them to continue in the name of the Garden Master.

"We gotta get outta here!" Raijin wailed in panic as he turned to Fujin.

Zanya shook slightly at his cowardly comment but Rian understood his reaction. If you knew someplace was going to blow, would you stick around? Well he was there. He had followed the female SeeDs back to their home that was probably minutes away from being blown sky high.

So, why was he there with them? His eyes shifted to focus on the gunblader. From his position, he only saw her in profile, her long hair covering her face so he couldn't see her face nor her entrancing eyes. It was her. She was the reason he was jumping right in the path of danger and likely certain death. Ever since he met her it had been one life threatening experience after another. SeeDs really couldn't get a break of danger, could they?

They stood in silence for a couple of seconds. Rian staring at Schala. Schala looking at Raijin and Fujin. Raijin staring at Fujin with begging eyes. Zanya glaring at Raijin seconds away from beating the crap out of him. She never got the chance.

Fujin's eyes narrowed and a warning sign flashed inside Raijin's mind as he stepped back. Too little too late.

The petite woman moved extraordinarily fast and in less than a second Raijin was wailing and grabbing his leg as Fujin had just kicked him in the shin, surprisingly hard too.

"OOOUUCH!! Geez, alright already!" He shouted as Zanya smiled and Rian stepped back.

It's not everyday you see a frail looking woman making a tough looking man almost three times her size scream like that. She was scary. Exactly what kind of training did they practice over there?!

"What can we do?" Raijin asked after composing himself and turning back to the SeeDs. By his side, Fujin did the same.

Schala looked hard at them as her two companions stared back at her. Finding the Headmaster was the priority, he needed to know what was coming. But that didn't mean they couldn't proceed in advance…

"Warn everyone." She finally said. "Tell them about the missiles, we have to start evacuating Garden at once!" She added, her voice rising in tone and authority.

She was getting the hang of this leader stuff.

"Right'O!" Raijin replied with a quick salute. "Leave it to us! This is no time to be fightin', ya know!?" He added as he got ready to move.

"We'll look for the headmaster." Schala said as she nodded.

"CAUTION!" Fujin's bark almost made Rian jump again.

It was going to be tough to get used to such a harsh tome to come from such a small woman. Also the intense stare of her one red eye gave him the chills.

"Yeah, be careful out there. Those Garden Master's goons are everywhere, ya know!" Raijin added.

Schala nodded again in acknowledgement as the two began to run away in the direction of the library.

"Yo, guys…" Zanya's call reached them when they were almost out of sight. They stopped and turned to face the martial artist just as Schala and Rian did the same.

"And what about you two…?" She asked, something they didn't mentioned before. "You with the headmaster or the Garden Master?"

They had forgotten to consider that, Schala realized. She narrowed her eyes as she waited for their response.

Raijin smiled widely as Fujin just stared back.

"Hey, it's jus' like Fujin said, ya know!?" He replied over the background noise. "We're with Seifer. Always have, always will!" And then they were gone, running till they fell outta sight.

_Seifer…_ Schala thought, her concerns returning. They were always loyal to him but… how far could that loyalty lead them?

Rian's eyes widened as he heard the two strange pair's reply. Seifer?! The blond SeeD that turned Knight!? That fought them and then tortured them… they were with him? Could they really be trusted?

He turned to voice his concerns to the female SeeDs but his intentions were lost in the wave of shouts and ruckus coming from the opposing hall the other two had taken.

Schala and Zanya's heads snapped towards the origin of the loudness. It seemed to come from the Infirmary area. Without a second thought, the two women rushed through the halls towards the leading corridor, Rian following close after them, his concerns forgotten for the moment.

As they crossed the hall, the battle sounds grew higher and some unconscious bodies laid around near the walls. A couple of metres ahead, they could see and hear one of the Faculty Members along with a group of senior cadets shouting out to a human barricade standing in front of the Infirmary's door. From a distance they could see two SeeDs and one cadet standing their ground with a number of cadets fallen around them.

"Looks like Cid has some decent pawns." He commented as his attacking squad was reduced to five members of whom three didn't seem too confident they could pass by the SeeDs.

Schala, Zanya and Rian stepped closer, keeping silent.

"What are you waiting for? Take them out!" He shouted at the cadets and they stepped forward, but so did they.

Two men stood ready to fight, one taller with dark hair and a sharp long spear and another, slightly shorter, with dark blond hair and wielding a short barrel shotgun, both wearing the SeeD uniform. A young female cadet stood with them, she had long, dark blue hair that fell to her waist and carried a spiked mace like it was no heavier than a hairbrush.

The cadets rushed towards them, one being immediately knocked out by the girl's mace as the SeeDs engaged in battle. Schala and Zanya got ready to get in there when the Faculty Member stepped back. He didn't seem like he was giving up.

"This is getting nowhere." They heard him grumble under his breath. "Time to call in the backup." He added as he took a small red whistle to his lips.

Rian was about to warn them but Schala and Zanya needed no notice as they were both on him before he had the chance to blow on it. They had learnt their lesson on the entrance way and they were not going to be caught off guard anytime soon.

Zanya kicked the whistle right out of the Faculty Member's unseen mouth, side kicking him so he'd step back to an awaiting gunblade as Schala knocked him out with the butt of her weapon on the back of his head. The man collapsed immediately, though never loosing his large yellow hat.

The two women turned to help out the other SeeDs only to find the cadets already handled and sprawled all around the floor or leaning against the walls.

They approached each other, the defending SeeDs and cadet hesitant at first but then one of them smiled and relaxed.

"Well, am I glad to see you around here!" The tall, dark haired young man commented, setting his spear to the side. "Thanks for the support." He added to which Schala merely waved her hand dismissively.

The man smiled recognizing the gesture.

"Oh my…" They heard an older female voice behind them and only then noticed the opened door and the fast approaching large woman in a doctor's coat. "More injured, really… you kids are always at it, aren't you?"

Doctor Kadowaki kneeled down near one of the injured cadets, fumbling in her pockets for diagnosis equipment. It was amazing the amount of objects she took out of her coat.

"Can you stand up?" She asked after checking a few of the other cadets and signing them off with minor injuries. This one seemed to be a bit worse, bleeding heavily from a scalp wound result the heavy blow from the girl's spiked mace.

"Why are you helping me?" The boy asked with a certain amount of resentment and obvious weakness. He was pretty banged up. "I'm with the Garden Master…"

The Doctor looked at him with a stern stare before she knocked him upside the head, not too strongly as to not aggravate his condition.

"Don't be ridiculous." She said simply, if yet a bit annoyed. "I'm a doctor, I don't care whose side you're on." She added.

The boy lowered his head in shame and she smiled more softly. _Kids these days…_

"Now, we need to take care of those wounds… Schala!" The doctor rose her head and saw the two SeeDs standing there watching the scene. A smile spread on her features before her eyes travelled around the hall.

"Don't just stand there." She asked leaving the young woman slightly confused. "Help me take these kids into the beds inside." She told them more than asked.

For a moment no one moved, they just stared at each other sharing wondering glances. The Doctor raised her eyes to them again and all of them flinched at their sternness.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Her tone didn't go unnoticed and in seconds the four SeeDs, the female cadet and Rian were helping the injured cadets into the small space of the infirmary. Small for all those people, that is.

The other two SeeDs and the female cadet stepped out of the cramped and overpopulated room and returned to their watch points as Schala, Zanya, Rian and the Doc helped the injured to settle somewhere there was room.

"They have just been pouring in…" The Doc sighed out as she motioned one of her aids what was wrong with the ones they had just brought. The tall, short haired blond young man who also wore a lab coat nodded repeatedly and then proceeded to clean and bandage the boy's head.

Neither Schala nor Zanya had ever noticed doctor Kadowaki had aids, at least they had never seen one before. Well, the circumstances definitely seemed to call for them.

"What is all this faction mumbo jumbo, anyways?" The Doc kept complaining as she removed her latex gloves and approached the SeeDs and Rian, who stood by her desk. "It's ridiculous…"

She raised her head, locking her eyes in Schala's penetrating ones. She smiled.

"I am glad to see you two though." She added as she looked at the two SeeDs, in her habit of searching for any injury. "Heard you were on a mission but you sure came back fast." She continued, finally noticing the young man in the back.

Doctor Kadowaki didn't recognize him. He was definitely not a Balambian SeeD or cadet, she was responsible for the medical care and checkups of every single personnel and she had a very good head for faces. She wondered who he was…

"We had to cut the mission short!" Zanya cut in the doc's line of thought, making her focus on the SeeDs once again. "There's an emergency…"

"Where's the headmaster? We must talk to him!" Schala interrupted. They had no time for small talk.

The doctor looked back at Schala. She knew the young woman, she could detect the uneasiness in her stance. If it had been just Zanya she would probably not take it too seriously but if Schala was this concerned then it must be something bad.

"Well, he's not here, obviously." She commented to Zanya's frustration that seemed to expect him to be hiding under one of the beds or stuffed in the medical cabinet. Maybe locked in the supply closet out the back along with the extra needles and meds and apparatus.

Schala just narrowed her eyes. She knew Cid wasn't there, but maybe…

"Do you know where he is?" She asked.

"No I don't." The doctor replied, gaining another frustrated sigh from the martial artist as Rian tried to comfort her.

Schala was about to leave since there was nothing else for her to do there. They had already lost precious time. Hyne knew when the missiles would hit.

"Wait." The doctor called out as the gunblader headed for the door. She half turned to face the older woman. "Why are you looking for him?"

Schala hesitated for just one second. I might as well tell her… She decided. She was the doctor after all, if there were inbound missiles…

"Galbadia has launched missiles against Garden." She said point blank and in a calm tone.

Schala knew the doctor understood the situation at hand from her surprised eyes, but that only lasted about two seconds before she reverted to her old self again. The doctor had seen much in her life to be frightened with a couple of missiles.

"We have to warn the headmaster and evacuate everyone before the missiles get here." Schala continued. "We have to find him!"

"Hmm…" Doctor Kadowaki stayed silent in thought for a moment before refocusing on them. "Xu will know where he is." She said and a thread of hope flashed in the martial artist's face as well as in Rian's.

Schala frowned however as she detected a small glitch in the offered information.

"I have no idea where she is though." Hah, there it was.

Zanya sighed again and Rian's smile faded. Schala just lowered her eyes. So now they had to be on the lookout for two people instead of one. Perfect…

"She stopped by here not a half an hour ago." The doctor continued. "She was checking out the SeeDs' positions, she might still be around."

A lifeline appeared and Schala took it willingly. She nodded, a long shot was better than nothing and started to move towards the door again followed by Zanya. Rian stayed put.

"What about you and your patients?" He questioned. "You should all get out of here, I'm sure the SeeDs outside would help you evacuate, carry all the people ou…" He stressed but the doctor stopped him with a comprehensive hand on his shoulder.

It was obvious to her then that the young man was not a SeeD, she had been around too many to identify them at a distance. That and the boy didn't know her very well.

"If Schala is serious and missiles are truly heading this way…" The comment wasn't meant as a sign of mistrust. It was not like the doctor thought Schala was lying, she knew better than that. She was just saying. "Then I'm definitely gonna have to stay."

Rian tried to protest, the female SeeDs knew better than that.

"Some of my patients can be evacuated and I'll see to it, but I'm not going anywhere." She emphasized then added with a smile while pushing the young man towards the door, the woman had already stepped outside. "If anybody gets hurt, who's gonna look after them?" She led him out and closed the door behind him.

Rian still tried to go back, but Zanya's hand on his shoulder halted his attempt. She smiled reassuringly.

"That old hag is as stubborn as a pack-chocobo." She said, doing little in order to make the raven haired feel better. "You couldn't drag her away."

Rian resigned himself but still spared one last look at the door before walking away after the SeeDs. They walked by the stationed SeeDs and cadet that stood their ground in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey, Schala. Zanya." The tall dark haired SeeD greeted as they passed. "That was some good timing." He added with a smile which faltered slightly as he looked at the third member of her small squad.

_Hey, isn't that…?_ Nida wondered as the raven haired looked strangely like that man from the ball… the one that had danced with Schala… _Could it be he's her boyf…_ He almost choked at the thought but Zanya snapped him out of it.

"You're lucky we're always there to save your sorry ass." She said jokingly and much to Rian's surprise, the young man smiled.

Schala frowned as she stared back at him. Did she know him?

"Yeah, right…" Nida commented, his thoughts still running around Rian and Schala in the ball. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. He shifted his gaze back to the strange man and then to Schala.

"Schala, what is it?" He wondered as the gunblader was still looking at him oddly.

"Who are you again?" She inquired with a frown after a couple of seconds.

She couldn't deny he seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place his face in accordance with a name.

The young man seemed crushed by her lack of recognition, his previous musings forgotten. The cadet in his squad was barely able to suppress a giggle as their fellow SeeD was more efficient at holding his laughter. The dark haired teen pretended not to notice them.

"Oh, c'mon! It's me!" He wailed and Zanya stepped up between them.

"Schala, it's Nida remember? We passed the SeeD exam together." She explained and just like that, Schala remembered.

From Squad C, if she was not mistaken. He was the only other cadet to pass the exam beside Squad B and their temporary addition, Sorphan. She just recalled the small ceremony in the headmaster's office and the reception downstairs after that. He had accepted the cheers very humbly.

"Oh…" Was Schala's only reply and it was Rian's time to chuckle as Zanya and Nida both shook their heads.

"It's just like you to forget." They both surprised themselves by saying it in unison, snapping up and staring at each other.

Seeing the situation was getting them nowhere and wasting precious time, Schala turned with a wave of her hand and started to walk away, a still smiling and now laughing Rian behind her.

Zanya and Nida shrugged then with nothing more to add. She turned to him, gave him a high five, a "See ya later!" and a wave at the other ones and she stalked off after Schala and Rian, who were already half-way cross the hall and heading towards the following access corridor that lead up to the Quad.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Heavy footsteps echoed in the now and again pristine floors of Galbadia Garden. The Galbadian soldiers had thoroughly cleaned the halls of all the bodies and most of the battle damage that occurred during the takeover and were now setting up communications and quarters. Galbadia Garden now belonged to Sorceress Edea and her minions.

Seifer walked across the corridors heading for the once headmaster's office, now chamber of his Sorceress, so as to inform her of the progress of the Shinra engineers. That hand full of geeks was drooling all over the place once they got a look at the whole of the Centraian technology that served as base for the Garden. They were on top of it in an instant and after a couple of hours they seemed confident they could make it work within the day.

His Sorceress was going to be pleased.

"Sir Almasy, Sir!" Some soldier called out as he ran up to the blond knight.

Seifer didn't stop or slow his pace as the other man caught up, saluted and walked beside him while carrying a hand full of papers.

"What is it?" Seifer demanded without even looking at the man.

"Sir, we've set the communication's base on the second floor classroom…" He informed.

"So?!" Seifer commented without interest. People in the military were always so annoying with the updates. He didn't need to know every little thing like that, he only needed to be informed if it was ever any relevant data…

"Sir!" The man hesitated detecting the edge on the Knight's tone, but he did have some concerning intel. "Sir, we've tried to establish contact with the Deling, the Prison Facility and the Missile Base…" He continued and Seifer did look at him.

The soldier gulped loudly as the sea-green eyes glared back, hoping there was a truly serious and important point to all that talk, to the own man's sake.

"Sir, we were unable to reach both the D-District Prison and the missile base!" He told him. "We haven't heard anything from both of them for a couple of hours now."

Seifer then stopped, his face contorted in thought and anger. That's where the man should have started from and not beating around the bush. The man stopped a couple of steps ahead, avoiding the Knight's eyes.

"The prison…" He whispered just barely loud enough so that the soldier heard him. The man was getting nervous. The knight wasn't the type of person who took bad news lightly.

But Seifer was no longer thinking about the man's incompetence, he was thinking about the new piece of information he had just received.

_No word from the prison, huh…?_ He wondered, his eyes flashing their old light for a second before a smirk adorned his features. _Leonhart, I should have seen that coming. Of course she couldn't be held by four walls._

The soldier was confused with the Knight's reaction. He actually seemed pleased and that didn't make much sense since there was a strong possibility there was a break out in the prison. Why would he be happy about that?

"The missile base!" Seifer just realized, his eyes darting back to the soldier who stood straighter than a T-board. His tone was no longer low nor was he smiling as penetrating sea-green eyes locked on frightened brown.

"Have the missiles been launched?" He asked, his tone now severely serious.

Damn, he had slipped up. First he should have realized the SeeDs wouldn't be held by the Galbadian prison. They were resourceful to a fault and then… the missile attack on the Gardens, they would certainly not allow that to happen without trying to stop it. They would fight the whole Galbadian Army if they believed that would prevent it. He wouldn't be surprised if they had stormed into the missile base in order to stop the launch, and he could just imagine a certain gunblader taking the lead on that attack.

"In their last communication, they confirmed the launch of the Missiles towards Trabia but that there were delays on the Balamb launch, some reactor malfunction and loss of power." The soldier continued to which the Knight only seemed to have heard part of it, him being still lost in his thoughts.

"Reports from Deling, however, state there was a second launch and then an explosion on the missile base area. This data is still unconfirmed, Sir." The man added.

Seifer remained silent as he assimilated the information. They couldn't go on without knowing if Balamb Garden was still standing. They had to make sure the missiles had been launched and reached their target.

"Contact our troops in Deling, have them organize a party to investigate the missile base and report back." He ordered and resumed walking as if dismissing the man.

The soldier remained in his spot for a while before saluting and retreating with a "Yes, Sir!"

Seifer continued walking through the halls, climbing some staircase towards the second floor and then heading for the elevator towards the only room on the third floor.

His Sorceress was not going to like this.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala, Zanya and Rian rushed out of the Quad area returning to the main hall. The Quad had been another bust since the headmaster had yet to be found. Instead, they found more SeeDs stationed there.

That was the second time now and it seemed the Garden Master's troops were at a loss as much as they were.

Where the hell was the headmaster?

Without slowing down, the SeeDs and Rian proceeded onto the next area of the ground floor. As they crossed the corridor leading to the cafeteria, the heavy sound of battle once again reached their ears. They got ready for battle, their weapons remaining unsheathed since they entered the Garden.

"ORYAAAA!!!" The loud shout made them hurry though the sound registered as odd.

"BRING IT ON!!" Again the same tough and loud male voice echoed in the hall as they got there.

Just as before, a faculty member, which stood far from the main commotion and a bunch of cadets, faced off a group of SeeDs and other cadets standing their ground near the access doors to the cafeteria. And just like before most cadets were sprawled all over the floor, unconscious or otherwise unmoving.

"Dammit! Get rid of them!" The Faculty Member ordered the few remaining cadets but they were overmatched.

Standing before them was a really large man, tall and heavily muscled, wearing some sort of fist weapon on his knuckles. He had tanned skin, an extensive beard and a bald, shiny head and wore part of the SeeD uniform, all but the jacket having his torso covered by a simple if yet bloodied white sleeveless t-shirt. All in all, the man was highly intimidating. And the attacking cadets seemed to agree since they hesitated to move.

But even so, the tall scary man wasn't alone. To his side stood a female SeeD, with curly black hair and carrying some type of double bladed hand blade. To his other side a tall male cadet, with dark skin and thick black hair held a traditional bow aimed right at the approaching attackers.

"I said GO!!" The robed figure shouted and the cadets advanced, engaging the imposing SeeDs and cadet.

As they battled, the cadets couldn't possibly stand their own and the Faculty Member knew it. Cursing under his breath, he stepped back, reaching somewhere inside his robes.

"Yeah, keep stalling them…" He said out loud as he pulled out a whistle and blew on it.

Schala and the others were too engrossed on the battle to realize what he was up to until it was too late. They still tried to reach them but a fizzing sound from behind them stopped them in their tracks. They turned in time to see four Bombs coming straight at them.

In different circumstances, they should be relieved. The defending party that was still occupied by the cadets wouldn't get caught off guard with the surprise attack of the monsters. On the other hand, they were right smack in the middle of the line of fire.

"Another of Cid's followers! DIE!" The faculty cried out, knowing the monsters wouldn't take long to arrive and destroy the annoying SeeDs but he soon grew weary.

Not only did the monsters delayed on their strike, but the battle sounds came from behind him.

He turned just as two of the Bombs charged, the three teens rolled to the sides in order to avoid them as the remaining two Bombs opened their mouths and a stream of flames advanced towards them.

Schala raised her hands in front of her, lifting an ice shield that protected her and Rian that had rolled to the same side while Zanya just jumped to avoid it. The flames collided on the ice raising steam all around them and temporarily hiding the two teens. Zanya turned on her heels, facing the two Bombs that had charged against them and were getting ready for another pass.

Zanya moved quickly. She rushed at the two Bombs and started with a round kick, pushing the two back. As they recovered, the Bombs gathered their energy, growing slightly in size as the martial artist charged at them again.

Meanwhile and before the steam cloud faded completely, Schala rushed from under its cover and ran up to the two remaining Bombs. She ducked under a new Fire spell and rolled near one of the monsters slashing upwards and throwing it back. As the Bomb grew, Schala had already turned towards the second Bomb, raising her gunblade in order to parry its charge.

The monster started to gather energy but it never got the chance to do much. Schala extended her ice magic, even with Shiva still dormant inside her, her affinity and moulding of ice magic was extensive. The glacial mist went over her hands and gunblade and covered the monster, chilling it as it went. In seconds the fiery Bomb became a live popsicle and in its frozen state, the monster no longer had the ability to float and fell onto the pristine marbled floors, shattering into a thousand pieces.

Schala straightened up and turned to the other Bomb which was charging against her. A red blur suddenly flashed in between them, intercepting the monster and dragging it over ending up lodged to a nearby wall and effectively pinning the fire elemental monster against it. The monster squirmed furiously, trying to get free but as it couldn't, it started to grow in its panic, gathering energy and getting ready to blow. Schala approached it slowly, hands raised as she set them against the beast's fiery surface.

With caution as to not risk the structural integrity of the giant boomerang, Schala extended her ice magic again and froze the squirming creature. It was safer than blowing it up. Once frozen to the core, Schala dislodged Cardinal from the wall and the icy Bomb collapsed onto the ground breaking apart, just like its counterpart.

Rian approached Schala and she simply handed him back his weapon with a nod. The young man smiled in response but the moment didn't last long as a loud explosion echoed from behind them.

Both teens turned around immediately, staring at the smoke filled corridor.

"ZANYA!"

.

While Schala and Rian faced off two of the Bombs, Zanya just kept on pounding on the other two. Kick after kick, punch after punch, Zanya kept on hitting and the Bombs kept on taking… and growing.

She wasn't sure when she noticed it but she sure knew why. After one particular strong hit the Bombs were thrown back and as they approached her again, Zanya could only stare.

"Oh crap…" She cursed under her breath.

How could she not have noticed it before? I mean, it was pretty hard to miss. The Bombs that now charged at her were easily three times her size and were fuming all over the place. One more touch and they could blow half a hall.

How in Hyne's name had she not seen it before?

She was at a loss. She couldn't keep striking at the monsters, they'd go off for sure. Not even Ice spells could help her now.

So she ran.

As one of the Bombs grew a little more from her last strike and the other one made for the martial artist, Zanya turned swiftly in her heels and started running the other way. She barely registered in the back of her head how Schala and Rian faced off the other two Bombs across the hall, her mind otherwise occupied in willing her legs to move faster.

She could feel the heat emanating from the fiery creature signalling it grew closer but there was no where else to run. In a feat of incredible skill, luck or clumsiness, Zanya dropped down onto the floor just as the Bomb passed over her head, missing her by millimetres.

She counted her blessings but soon was cursing her luck. She had managed to evade the Bomb's strike but now she was between the rock and the hard place… more specifically, between two large and greatly unstable explosive monsters.

She was so screwed.

The Bombs got ready to charge and Zanya still didn't know how she was going to get out of that.

_**Use fire!**_ Ifrit's strong voice echoed inside her mind.

_What? _Zanya let out in complete astonishment_. Fire IS my problem here. I'm going down in flames when these Bombs collide, in case you haven't noticed!_ She snapped, but her Guardian ignored it due to the stress of situation.

_**They are fire elementals. Their power is based on fire and fire needs air to burn.**_ Ifrit explained, strangely calm. They both had pretty hot tempers, which accounted for them getting along so well, but one had to keep its head cool at the time.

The strange and almost unbelievable thing was that one was Ifrit.

_**If you burn the air there won't be any for them to feed on and the explosion won't be as strong.**_ He continued, his calm wavering since, if the girl waited much longer their small and narrow window of opportunity would close for good.

_But…_ Zanya hesitated. The concept of what her Guardian was telling her sounded so unreal.

_**Damn, woman! I know what I'm talking about!! Just do it!!!**_ Ifrit had finally snapped and roared inside her head.

Now that was more like him.

Out of reflex, Zanya obeyed. She focused her energy with the fiery demon's help, imbedding it with an amazing amount of powerful fire magic.

As the Bombs were almost on top of her, she released it. A fire wave spread around her, much like it had for Ifrit back in the Fire Cavern, creating a Wall of Fire surrounding her and the Bombs. The monsters didn't react, couldn't even, their momentum didn't allow for it as they collided heavily against each other in their confusion.

_**Jump, NOW!**_ Ifrit warned her and Zanya was barely able to jump back and out of the fire's embrace as the Bombs blew up.

If that was an example of a less strong explosion, Zanya definitely didn't want to be around a strong one. The blast rocked the entire corridor, the following shockwave throwing her hard against the side walls as the remaining occupants of the hall had to protect their eyes from the pressure and heat that resulted from the blast.

Zanya couldn't stop blinking. Unbalanced, she only remained upright by leaning against the wall for support. She could have sworn she heard someone call out to her but her ears were ringing so loudly she believed it impossible that any sound could make it through. She was blind and deaf and almost punched Rian as he reached out for her.

"Hey! Easy there, it's just us!" He told her and she settled down, still blinking a lot and the ringing in her ears hadn't lessened, but she seemed to recognize him.

"She's going to be ok." He said while preparing a cure to handle the more serious damage from the blast. Hopefully it would snap her out of it.

Schala nodded though no one actually saw the acknowledgement. She stood a bit to the side, watching as the blonde martial artist slowly recovered her bearings and stood without the support of the wall.

"I'm alright, I'm alright…" Zanya let out as she wobbled a bit and Rian made to help her.

He stopped and she stumbled but managed not to fall, keeping her hand outstretched as to keep him away. Schala sighed in relief she didn't realise she felt. That had been quite a blast and the hall was going to need some remodelling, but the other girl seemed to be fine.

"Leonhart and Dincht, I should have known!" The earlier strong male voice echoed in the corridor drawing the three teens from their thoughts and actions. Even Zanya's dizziness seemed to fade in the sudden surprise.

The three turned and saw as the SeeDs and cadets approached their positions, the ones siding with the Garden Master and the Faculty Member himself better than handled.

"You two were always apt and willing to make a mess…" The tall and tough looking SeeD with the bloodied shirt said with a serious expression, one that suddenly turned to a heartfelt smile. "You always got the job done, though. Good work."

Rian looked intrigued by the man's comment and though Schala's simple nod didn't tell him much about the tall man, Zanya's sudden recovery and stance told him lots. This wasn't just an intimidating man, this man demanded respect.

"Instructor Brandt!?" Zanya let out as she saluted on reflex. Her pose then relaxed, a wide smile spreading on her face. "Well, you know us!"

Probably no one rather than Rian noticed the little and subtle twitch in the brunette gunblader's face at her words. He suppressed a chuckle though he wasn't quite sure to which part of her sentence her objection laid.

Was it the fact that Zanya implied she and Schala were similar? Or was it the possibility that Schala's behaviour could be that predictable? Rian wasn't sure but in either case, he felt he was starting to understand what went on inside that thick head of hers, even if not fully.

"Yeah, that I do…" Mark commented with a sly smile. The instructor was responsible for the battle classes since they had first enrolled in Garden and even as Zanya had entered later than Schala, he could say for sure he knew their battle styles and pardons well.

They were both equally destructive.

Zanya stumbled as the three of them approached the instructor, her injuries though forgotten by her mind were not forgotten by her body and it demanded some degree of care before she could run up to another explosion.

"It's quiet here now." The instructor informed. "Let's take a load off inside for a bit. You can tell me what you're doing here." He added with inquiring eyes. He knew the nature of the mission the two recent SeeDs had been sent on and he knew it was not the kind of mission to be completed so easily or quickly.

Not to mention there was one member of the team missing, apparently substituted by someone he had never seen before, and he knew every face in Balamb Garden.

The SeeDs and Rian agreed to go inside for a couple of minutes. Zanya was injured and they had yet to stop fighting since they first stepped back in Garden. That was hardly the welcome either of them were expecting.

The cafeteria was packed. In the back of the SeeDs minds, it almost looked like a normal day. That was until you looked closer and saw the improvised stretchers and beds, the aids and healers roaming between the many injured Cadets and few SeeDs.

"There's so many here…" Rian let out. Since they'd arrived they had yet to see such an extensive group of people.

"Yeah…" Mark started as he stepped in behind them, after relaying instructions to the remaining that remained on guard outside. "When this whole mess started people started taking sides but there were still the few who refused to. Those sought refuge here and here they remained." He commented, still looking at them with a certain degree of caution. He couldn't be sure of which side they were on.

"Is there any more food here?" Zanya suddenly asked, turning to the instructor whose serious face switched immediately to one of incredulous amusement.

That was another characteristic linked to that girl: her monstrous appetite.

"There should still be some leftovers. Ask the lunch ladies at the desk, they'll hook you up with anything they have left." He informed which raised her spirits considerably.

They hadn't eaten anything other than potions and some 100 year old Twinkie they'd found on the train ever since that sorry excuse for a meal they had served them in the Desert Prison.

She was starving!

Rian hadn't noticed his hunger till she mentioned it, too absorbed in what was going on to register his grumbling stomach.

For the second time that morning alone, Zanya forgot all about her injuries and all but sprinted towards the food court causing a chuckle to escape Rian as instructor Brandt sighed heavily.

"You coming, Schala?" Rian asked. She had eaten as much as they had if not less. She never got to try the aged snack.

Schala just shook her head. She wasn't hungry. She couldn't possibly think about food at a time like that, too many thoughts in her head, too much going on for her to be able to focus on anything else than her mission. Find the headmaster and warn him. They were losing precious time as it were.

Rian stared at her for a bit but at the sight of her determined expression he knew he had no chance of winning any arguments otherwise. So, he nodded and followed Zanya in, the martial artist already leaning over the counter and demanding food.

"So, let's hear it." Mark started, drawing Schala's attention back to her. The woman turned to face him as he elaborated. "You were sent in a mission to Timber, if I'm not mistaken. "He knew he wasn't. "You got it done rather fast…"

The two SeeDs stared at each other for a while. Schala liked this instructor as much as she liked any other strong and knowledgeable teacher from whom she had learnt or could learn from.

"We got a bit sidetracked." She commented to which the instructor raised a curious and surprised eyebrow.

The brunette gunblader wasn't one to leave things unfinished. Whatever had made them detour from the path, he was certain it was no little thing.

Schala sighed. Better get it over with.

"We got a run into a Sorceress that has allied with the Galbadian Empire…" She mentioned, closing her eyes for a moment as a flash of remembering passed through her mind. Of all of the minute images one of them stuck most than others… one of intense sea-green eyes…

Mark waited patiently, knowing she wasn't done yet.

"And now Galbadia has launched missiles at the Garden." She continued after opening her eyes and shaking the images away. "We have to warn the headmaster! Evacuation has already started, we don't know when the missiles are going to hit!"

Mark just stood there staring at her for a long time. Well, it felt like a long time to Schala, just a silent moment between them as he absorbed her words with just Zanya cheering over they having leftover hot-dogs on the background. Mark was eying his once bright student. She was one of the best natural fighters to have passed through his classes but she was also a serious and committed person.

"I'm afraid the headmaster isn't here." He said after a while, getting a disappointed and slightly frustrated sigh in response.

Schala had suspected as much. She actually started to wonder if he was even in Garden anymore.

"Do you know where I can find him?" It didn't hurt to ask, though she half-expected his answer.

"Nope, sorry." He told her. "No one here knows where he is…"

"Then why are you gathered here?" Schala cut him off. They'd been running into so many groups lately, it was so strange.

"Misdirection." He simply replied faced with her stressed expression, which immediately turned to puzzlement.

"Misdirection?" She wondered as her face slowly turned to understanding.

Even so, Instructor Brandt explained.

"It was Xu's idea." He started. "She rounded up the SeeDs and told us to gather at several key points around Garden. We were to be in sufficient numbers as to draw the Garden Master's goons' attention, but not too much attention."

"If they attacked us all at once, there's no way we could hold them off and keep the headmaster safe, even if we are SeeDs." He added with a smirk that would make just about anyone else crack a smile. All but Schala. "By doing this, we are dividing their forces and confusing them, and the headmaster is safer."

Schala nodded absentmindedly as it all made sense in her head now. They were sending the faculty members chasing shadows and wild geese. The only problem with that plan was that it left her in the same situation.

The key to the whole situation was Xu. If she had thought about it she must have also hidden the headmaster. They had to find her.

"Where's Xu?" She asked to which his former instructor smiled.

Her deductive reasoning never let him down.

"I don't know." She let out a frustrated sigh. He smiled. "She was just here though, checking up on our defences, maybe she's still around on another part of the Garden. She's patrolling the Garden Master's goons' movements."

Basically, she could be anywhere.

Schala sighed again. There was nothing else to learn from here, they had to keep moving. They didn't know how much more time they had left. However, there was one thing she had been wondering and that maybe the instructor could shed some light into.

"Who's this '_Garden Master'_ anyway?" She voiced out.

Mark's face twitched then angered.

"That no good, selfish bloated yellow BASTARD!!" He shouted out, silencing the cafeteria as everyone set their eyes on him. All but Zanya, who was too busy eating.

Realising his outburst, Mark settled down after sending a look to everyone of 'Nothing to see here!' that made everyone return to whatever they were doing, he turned back to Schala who, like many others, seemed confused.

"Yellow bastard…?" She wondered but Mark just waved his hand in front of her.

"It's a long story." He commented and looked at her. She didn't seem too satisfied with that answer. "One too long for now. If missiles are truly heading this way, we gotta evacuate."

Schala nodded in agreement, though she didn't forget about the Garden Master business and that the instructor knew something about it. He never hoped she would.

"We ran into Raijin and Fujin earlier." She mentioned. "They're spreading the word."

"Good, good…" He mumbled as he gathered his thoughts. "We'll start sending people out too…"

"YAY!!! More hot-dogs!!" Zanya's loud cheer cut them off as she munched down food like there was no tomorrow.

"Zanya, you'll get sick if you eat so much!" Rian tried to reason with her, his appetite reduced to a single baguette after seeing her voracious intake of food.

_I mean, she's so muscled and relatively skinny… where does all that food go?_ He couldn't stop but wondering.

"No I won't!" She managed to say between bites. "Are you going to finish that?" She inquired about a siding of french-fries he had left in his plate.

He couldn't eat now even if they chucked the food down his throat, so he just handed her the plate and with a '_Thanks'_, she dove right in.

All around the cafeteria, half the people were laughing their asses off at the scene, most of them used to the martial artist eating habits. The other half were as grossed out as Rian.

Mark, however, wasn't focusing on Zanya's nonsense but on the young man next to her. The more he observed him, the more convinced he was that he wasn't a warrior. From his pose to his looks to just about everything else about him.

"Who's the kid?" He asked Schala and from the corner of his eyes, he was still looking at the other two, he could see her stance tensing. Something was definitely off, he reasoned, as he turned to face her.

For a moment, Schala avoided his inquiring gaze. Rian was not only a civilian, he was a client and she had placed him in harm's way yet again, even if she never expected to find danger in her home. Either way, not exactly the way to handle someone under your care.

She raised her eyes to him and then she simply shrugged.

"Long story." She said to all honesty. Long and complicated.

Despite the situation, Mark had to smile to that. It had almost sounded like a joke.

"D'ya have anymore?!" Zanya's request was heard once more, followed by an incredulous gasp.

"You can't possibly eat anymore!?!" Rian let out.

"Wanna bet?" She replied and a deep frown settled in Schala's face.

She'd had enough.

"That's it." She said a bit louder, catching the other two's attention. "We're leaving." She shouted out at them.

The two just stared back for a second and Rian nodded and got ready while Zanya just kept staring.

"But I'm not done yet!!" She wailed and Schala just sighed furiously.

She turned to Mark and nodded, narrowing her eyes to his amused smile, turned back and walked away from the cafeteria, Rian following after her.

"Hey!! Wait up!!" Zanya called out, rushing out with a couple of hot-dogs in her hands and one half stuffed inside her mouth.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Move out!" The senior officer shouted out at his troops as the convoy exited the barracks of the Presidential Palace and into the streets of Deling City.

On the sidewalks, balconies, shop's windows, even from the cars parked on the side, everyone just stared as the highly armoured military procession moved through the usually quiet streets.

Many couldn't stop but wonder if it had anything to do with the fiasco of the Sorceress' Parade of the previous day. Most of them didn't know exactly what had happened but they knew the Gates coming down and the battle inside hadn't been part of the program.

Now the smoke in the horizon and the military taking off in a hurry were highly suspicious and ominous developments.

As the trucks and tanks roared through the city, its citizens couldn't stop but wonder…

_What is happening to our country?_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ok, we'll keep this area secure." The Seed reassured them as they walked out of the Parking Lot and back into the main hall.

Schala, Zanya and Rian kept having no luck in locating either Xu or the headmaster. The search in the dorms had been troublesome. There were just too many places to hide and when they got there, the Garden Faculties had already turned half of the rooms upside down and without any luck either. Again, a group of SeeDs stood their ground but they mostly just stood in their way. After talking to them, they confessed the headmaster truly wasn't there and Schala believed them. The dormitory was a dead end anyway, if he was there he'd be trapped. Not a very wise choice.

So they'd moved on to the Car Park Area and there, just for a second, they believed they had hit the jackpot, Bingo, Bullseye… but they were soon proved wrong. They actually saw him, the headmaster standing behind a new group of SeeDs and cadets, but his image was flickering. It happened to be just a holographic projection, experimental technology at best but that still fooled many Garden Master followers.

Schala had explained the situation, asking the SeeDs to get the vehicles ready for any evacuee that would require them. Using the trucks was the surest way of getting the most people to a safe distance before the missiles hit. They assured them they would and so the two SeeDs and Rian moved on.

The Training Centre was up next.

For a moment, Schala hesitated to look for the headmaster there. A lair of monsters without that many safe places to hide… Of course that would make it the last place the SeeDs were likely to hide him which precisely made it not only a good hiding place, but also the most likely place they would look for him.

And Schala was going to bypass the green hallway were it not for the sharp child's cry that echoed through that one corridor. After that, Schala didn't hesitate, she didn't stop, and she didn't waver. She just sped up into the Training Centre access hall with Zanya keeping pace beside her and Rian close behind.

They rushed up to the sound of battle and children's screams, coming up to the heavy blast doors that gave entrance to the secondary security area. As she ran, Schala looked up to the side monitors before the gates, still inside the main safe passage. She registered in the back of her mind how the security barriers and protections have been placed offline and code protected. This indicated some sort of premeditation. This Garden Master, whoever he was, had been planning this for a while now. That was why there were monsters all over the facility. Still, all that information was retained in her subconscious as her main concern was figure out and most probably, to help whoever was in danger.

As the three teens entered the secondary security area, they were half expecting the scene they found. A Faculty Member and three senior cadets surrounded a single female SeeD, with short blonde hair, who stood in front of five junior classmen. From their perspective, it seemed she was taking them to safety and got pinned down by the Garden Master's goons.

"We got'em now! Don't let them escape!" The robed man barked at the cadets as they stepped forward.

The female SeeD cursed under her breath. She had been careless, caught off guard. At the turn of a corner, she was ambushed by the cadets and, having the juniors with her, she couldn't go all out and leave them defenceless. She had to run and the closest escape route was into the Training Centre.

Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Pinned down again, she was forced to fight but at one of the children's cries, she got distracted and disarmed. Now her trusty crossbow laid carelessly discarded on the floor next to the Faculty Member. She was going to have to do it the old fashioned way.

One of the cadets hesitated, faced with the sheer determination reflected in the SeeD's face, but the others weren't as easily intimidated.

"Let's go." One of them started and stepped forward, the other two following to his sides.

"I'm gonna fight too!" One of the kids let out as he sneaked under the SeeDs outstretched and protective arms and rushed towards the cadets.

"Eddy, no!" She cried out for him but he was too far out.

"Heheheh. This should be interesting." The tallest cadet laughed it off, stepping up to the charging boy.

But the kid didn't let himself be intimidated by his height or the sabre he carried. The short brunet boy, with a dark t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt and jeans rushed up and kicked the older man in the knee before he could react.

The cadet wailed and collapsed from the sudden and strong blow that had caught him completely off guard. it was so fast, neither of his companions were able to act before the SeeD stepped up and shoved the kid back behind her, stepping back again to make sure all the children were safe.

"I'm not training everyday for nothing!" The little boy managed to let out as he returned to the others, the female SeeD shushing him as she turned back to the cadets.

"Why you little…!" The still fallen man cursed between his teeth. To think he had been brought down by a kid.

"Stop kidding around!" The Faculty member ordered. "Take care of them!"

No more Mister Nice Guy.

He got up and signalled his companions to come forth, tightening his grip on his blade as the SeeD's eyes narrowed and she adjusted her position so she'd come between them. Her expression was worth a thousand words.

"_You'll have to get past me first!"_ Were just a few of them.

He just smirked at her feeble attempts to scare him off as his two companions stepped up behind them. The two cadets stopped, however, as they both felt a tap on their shoulders. They half turned to see who it was and were met by two fists coming at high speed straight at their faces.

The two cadets fell to the floor almost immediately, the third one and the faculty member turning to find three teens standing over his friends' unconscious bodies. The closest, a woman with spiky blond hair was smiling widely.

"I don't think so." She said and before they could react, Schala rushed in and smacked the remaining cadet over the head with the back of her gunblade, knocking him out instantly.

The faculty member stepped back in alarm as the other female SeeD silently thanked them with a nod. That had been the most excellent timing.

"Another one of Cid's followers!?" The robed man grumbled as he stepped back again, getting closer to the closed blast doors that led further into the most dangerous area of the Training Centre.

Schala kept her eyes trailed on the man's movements, ready to act if he tried anything with Zanya by her side cracking her knuckles as Rian checked on the other SeeD and the children. The woman, as soon as it was obvious they were on her side, picked up her weapon, aiming it straight at the faculty's head. He kept approaching the doors.

Hidden from their gaze, the robed man smiled. He would not go down easily as his grip on the whistle in his pocket tightened. He might just be able to open the doors and call up a monster before they could stop him. Then all of them would be monster chow.

"Those opposed to NORG…" He started as his final step brought him to the control consol for the gate, "MUST DIE!" He shouted and opened the doors.

The SeeDs rushed to the man as he removed his hand from his pocket and took it to his hidden face, but the teens suddenly stopped and stared in horror at him. No, they weren't looking at him but… behind him…?

_Hah!_ He thought. _Think I'll fall for that old trick? You underestimate me!_ And he took a breath that was immediately caught in his throat as he heard the low growl coming from behind him.

The man froze, not moving a muscle for the whole minute it took him to gather the nerve to turn around. He'd rather he didn't when at first, the only thing he saw were two thick and red scaly legs and really big black claws. Looking up, he could only stare in horror as the large T-Rexaur looked down at him with a hungering craze.

The pre-historic animal tilted its head, admiring his prey. Its smaller hands twitched in anticipation of the offered meal and its mouth hanged ajar, drooling expectantly.

The man couldn't even scream and in a swift movement, the beast lowered and bit him in half. Then he screamed, the horrified sound muffled by the animal's throat as it threw its head back, as if intending to swallow him whole.

Meanwhile the SeeDs very quietly and averting their eyes at the gruesome scene, made to move away before being added to the dinner table, but their aims faltered as one of the children screamed at the sight.

Now they were in trouble.

The scream startled the creature that bit down, ripping the squirming man in half and causing to rain blood and entrails all around it.

The children screamed some more and it only led the T-Rexaur into an enrage state, causing it to growl loudly and trash around the remains of the faculty member and to zero in on the kids. Schala wouldn't have that.

The brunette gunblader reached out her hand as the beast moved and a thick and slippery layer of ice spread across the floor at her cry, making the creature slip and lose its bearings.

"Get them outta here!" Schala shouted out, either it was meant for Rian or the other female SeeD they didn't know or cared as both gathered the kids and took them to the safety of the inner hall.

Meanwhile and not even waiting for the creature to recover, Zanya charged in, starting with a double kick that send the beast sliding against the railings. Schala also got ready to intervene, readying her gunblade as the beast stood up and slicing at its legs.

The T-Rexaur howled again and swung his tail, catching a rushing Zanya and avoiding Schala by millimetres as she dropped to the floor. Zanya wailed in pain as she crashed against the walls, the large beast focusing on its still active target.

Schala narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on Revolver. She would not be an easy meal.

.

"Is everyone alright?" Rian asked as he and the female SeeD reached the middle of the corridor and stopped to check on the kids.

Of all the things that could have come out of those gates, a T-Rexaur was by far the most troublesome adversary.

They both sighed in relief as the injuries were resumed to minor scrapes and bruises, mostly from falling while running away.

A loud growl echoed in the walls of the hall, making the two teens stand in front of the children, half expecting the large red dinosaur to come barging in after them. That didn't happen but a muffled hurting cry did reach them. The two women were not having it easy in there.

"I gotta go help them!" Rian let out as he gripped Cardinal and made for the way they'd just come from.

He had to do something. He couldn't just stand by again and let them fight alone. He couldn't bear having them being hurt.

"Be careful!" The female SeeD cried out to him.

All she wanted was to follow in after him, help her companions fight. But she couldn't, her responsibilities came first. Her gaze went down to the kids, scared and tired. She just couldn't leave them alone.

Raising her eyes again to the rushing young man, she couldn't help but wish him the best of luck… And good hunting.

Rian reached the so called safe area in time to see Schala soaring through the air in quite the involuntary fashion. He was just about to call out to her but she somehow took control and flipped mid flight, landing hard but on her feet.

He saw Zanya running again as the huge beast came into the line of sight again. It didn't seem the least bit tired or hurt. Sure, there were the deep – at least they seemed deep to him – cuts in its legs, courtesy of a certain gunblade, but the creature still moved like nothing was wrong.

He supposed the species hadn't survived for hundreds of thousands of years for being meek…

Zanya managed to avoid the tail swing that time by leaping over it as Schala, caught off balance, stabbed her weapon on the ground, blade out. The tail hit the blade causing the beast to howl in pain and almost cut the thing in half, but it didn't slow it enough and Schala was still projected across the lot.

He had to do something… _But what?_ He wondered. It was not like he could hold his own against a creature that was beating up the two strongest fighters he had ever seen. What could he do?

_**Let's me give it a try.**_ Siren's serene voice sounded inside of him.

It amazed him greatly that she could keep calm in a situation as stressful as theirs but still, her calmness rubbed in on him and he settled himself for the summon.

.

Schala stumbled to her feet. That was one tough T-Rexaur, like nothing she had ever seen. What did they feed those things? Unknown to her, Zanya was thinking of just about the same thing, with the adding of needing to know where she could get some.

The T-Rexaur was getting to charge in again, this time it would get one of the girls for sure since they had barely enough space to recover. Zanya was trying to reach Schala before the beast did when suddenly, clear crystalline waters crossed the ground, somewhat avoiding the two teenagers but not the prehistoric beast.

The waters made the creature stumble and stop and his attention suddenly shifted from the appetizing humans to a mysterious woman sitting on a rock, both that had appeared out of thin air.

Siren's wings parted and she sat there, holding her small harp as she started to pass her fingers gently through the cords.

The sound reached them all, like an alluring lullaby and she began to sing. A beautiful, marvellous tune which lyrics they could not comprehend. The beast seemed mesmerized, more than the rest of them, that could hear the melody but abstract from it. The creature was like hypnotized.

Its eyelids began to waver, closing just to open suddenly again. But as much as it fought the drowsiness, it took over it eventually and the beast collapsed heavily on the Training Centre's floor, rocking its surroundings.

With a soft smile at the obvious thankful expressions on the SeeDs' faces, Siren retreated back into her master's mind, her waters fading into oblivion.

Rian approached them, checking them but they had already cast heals on themselves. Siren's soothing song also facilitating their recovery.

"That was a tough one." Zanya let out as she neared the slumbering figure that gave them all that trouble.

"Don't get too close!" Rian warned but Zanya just dismissed his concern.

"Oh c'mon, it's sound asleep!" Zanya reasoned. "An active volcano couldn't wake him up!"

Rian looked at Schala for support but she just shrugged her "whatever" and kept looking as the martial artist started poking the creature. Surrendering, Rian shrugged as well, though he observed with weary eyes as the other woman approached the animal's head.

"Awww! It's actually rather cute when its asleep." She commented as she patted its snout.

In that moment, the beast snapped its long and tearing jaws making the blonde woman jump a good two metres back with her heart pounding so hard she feared it would hop out through her mouth.

"Zanya! You ok?" Rian called out as he and Schala rushed over to her.

"Y-Yeah… I'm good… I think…" She sighed out, still grabbing her chest for her heart to settle.

"I told you!" Rian insisted but as he gazed at her terrified face, his accusing words vanished and he chuckled.

And that was enough. He started laughing then she started laughing, a bit half-hearted at first but soon her laughter echoed throughout the area as her fear slowly dissolved away. At the particular high pinched laugh, the large beast twitched in its sleep causing silence to reign once more.

"I think we should leave now." Schala's calm words almost made them both jump and after settling their hearts again they agreed and followed her out into the hall.

Schala stopped after passing the large blast doors, fumbling with the controls to restore the defence mechanisms of the Training Centre. It only took her but a minute and afterwards, they all returned to the main hall where the female SeeD and the kids were still waiting.

"Thank you." She told them. "That could have been very bad."

Schala just waved it off as Zanya and Rian took the compliments to heart.

They never saw it coming. Zanya and Rian had barely enough time to set their footing before the five children surrounded them with cheers and half hugs. The kids, however, stayed clear of Schala. They had attended Garden long enough to know she wouldn't like that.

"Thanks again, Schala." The woman said as she approached the brunette SeeD. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't show up."

"I'm sure you'd have handled it." Schala replied, surprising her a bit but not faltering the smile on her face.

Her smile turned into an inquiring expression.

"Why did you go in, anyway?" She wondered, looking at her for a response.

"We're looking for the headmaster." Schala didn't even hesitate to respond, keeping the other woman's gaze.

The woman let go a laugh at the implication.

"Well, he isn't in there, that's for sure." She added and laughed again.

Indeed, the idea of the slightly chubby headmaster fighting off a T-Rexaur by choice was quite amusing. So much, Schala almost cracked a smile.

"Yeah, I figured as much…" She let out with a sigh.

"Why are you looking for him." She asked, for just one second doubting her intentions. As far as she knew, Schala could be siding with the Garden Master and the rescue could be nothing more than a rouse so she'd gain their favour. One could never be too sure.

Schala sighed again. She hated having to repeat herself and she already had about five times now.

"Missiles may be heading this way. We gotta evacuate and warn the headmaster." Schala said calmly, fixing her penetrating eyes onf the other woman's suddenly surprised ones.

"You should get out of here too, take the children and hide in town." Schala continued. "The path is clear to the parking lot, the SeeDs there will get you a transport."

"Yeah… I think I'll do that…" The woman said after almost two minutes of contemplation as it all sunk in. Her eyes suddenly shifted towards the kids as they played around with Rian and Zanya. The safety of the children came first.

"C'mon kids, let's get going." She called out and the children wailed. They wanted to play some more.

"Do we have to Joan?" One of the little girls asked.

"I'm afraid so." She confirmed it and the kids hanged their heads in disappointment. "C'mon, get ready."

"And Schala…" She started again, turning her back on the children and focusing on the three teens that stood side by side again, ready to continue their search.

"You're gonna keep looking for the headmaster?" She asked, getting a single nod as her reply. "You should go to Xu, she'll know." She added.

Schala resisted a sigh but Zanya spared her the trouble of answering it.

"We'd like that, if we knew where she was…" She replied, smiling awkwardly and turning with the others.

"She's on the second floor." Joan said.

The three teens froze for a second, fearing their ears were deceiving them. _Did she just say…?_ They turned around immediately to face her again.

"You sure?" Rian wondered. The last thing they needed was another wild goose chase.

"Pretty sure." She confirmed it, smiling as Zanya's face lit up like a child on a Christmas morning upon finding out Santa gave her what she wanted.

"Oh! YEAH!" She cheered and took off in the direction of the elevators in the main lobby without a second's thought and leaving her companions behind.

"Thank you." Rian added before starting to move again. "Schala, are you coming?" He wondered as the woman had yet to move.

She just half turned her head, nodding before focusing on the female SeeD. Her stormy blue eyes locked on her bright green.

"Take care of them." Schala added, signalling the children who were impatiently waiting for their caretaker to meet them.

"Take care of our home." Joan replied, making Schala almost crack a smile.

If there was a way, she'd get it done. That was for sure.

They both shared one more look and nod before parting ways, Schala reaching up with Rian that had waited for her as Joan joined with the kids and rushed towards the Car Park.

Schala and Rian picked up their pace, Zanya nowhere to be seen, as they passed in front of the library's blue hallway. There were no signs of battle that way and it was all silent. Maybe Raijin and Fujin had already managed to evacuate them.

Either way, they had a destination now. Xu was on the second floor. Maybe the headmaster was there too! They had no time to lose.

"C'mon, slowpokes!! Hurry up!!" Zanya called out as she stood on top of the staircase, holding the elevator doors as the other two joined her.

They stepped inside and Zanya slammed on the second floor button. The elevator immediately obeyed, as if it knew Zanya was very likely to rip it to shreds if it didn't, and in less than ten seconds, the doors opened with a ping and they stepped out.

The second floor was the classrooms part of the Garden, which meant they would have to check every single one of them. Or they would have if they didn't catch the frame of a woman with short dark hair fleeing their line of sight and into the circular corridor.

It had to be Xu.

Sharing a look, the two SeeDs rushed over the hall and after the unknown woman with Rian, if yet a bit unsure, close behind them. They rounded the corner barely in time to see the woman round another up ahead and promptly gave chase.

The second they passed the second corner, Zanya instinctively rolled to the side as Schala raised her gunblade to protect herself as twin silvery sais attacked her.

The ninja weapons moved fast and expertly and the only thing Schala could do to avoid them was swing her blade without thinking.

Zanya jumped back to her feet, ready to get back into the fight, but it was Rian who intervened.

"Wait! Stop it! We're on your side!" He called out, smart enough not to try and stand in the middle of the two battling women. He enjoyed being alive.

With the young man's words, Xu backed out a bit, though still holding her weapons defensively. It only took her two seconds to recognize the two SeeDs and when that happened, her stance relaxed considerably.

"Zanya, Schala! You're back!" She let out, genuine happiness and relief reflected on her face.

Rian was relieved too, more than even her, perhaps. Now that was a woman he wouldn't like to encounter on the wrong side of a battlefield.

"I'm glad you're safely back but… what are you doing here?" They could see her initial surprise and relief changing to suspicion. "And where's the rest of your team? Where's Quentin?!" She insisted, panic and anxiety now evident in her pose and tone.

Schala thought hard for a moment on how to expose the situation.

"We came here to warn the headmaster." Xu's face hardened. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what was coming. "Galbadia has launched missiles at Garden!" She let out loudly.

"What!?!" Xu not only didn't like it, she never expected it.

"That's right!" Zanya added. "They had already hit Trabia before we could stop them! The rest of the team stayed behind to try and stop the launch at Balamb."

"But we can't be sure they succeeded." Schala cut in. "They seemed to have been able to delay them, or else we wouldn't be talking right now… But they can still be coming our way."

Schala paused for a moment, allowing for her to take it all in.

"We have to find the headmaster." Schala stressed, starting to lose her calm. "Some people are already evacuating, but we don't know how much time we have left!"

The silence stretched for a couple of minutes as Xu considered her options. She didn't know Schala very well, few were the ones who could claim such a feat. But if there was one thing she knew was that she would never make this up. Balamb Garden was like a home to her. She chose to believe her, as Quentin surely would.

"Alright." Xu told them. "I'll take you to him. Follow me!" She added and ran past them, back towards the elevators.

"Where is he?" Schala wondered. They had already checked the most of the ground floor, where else could he…?

"Actually…" She hesitated for a second. Schala narrowed her eyes. "He's in his office. He has been there all along."

"WHAT!?!" Both Zanya and Rian cried out, Rian not so loudly of course.

"All this time?" Zanya added.

"Yup!" Xu replied as they reached the elevator. It opened immediately with a ping. "We made it look like he was hiding to split up the Garden Master's forces, but he really never left his office."

The doors closed on the incredulous teens. To think they had scavenged all around Garden looking for him and he was in the most obvious place! Too obvious, perhaps. Of course no one would remember to look for the headmaster in his office at a time like this.

That was a purely genius move.

The lift reached the third floor and opened its doors. Xu and the others rushed out, heading for the large, mahogany doors. Xu stopped and knocked hastily, signalling her arrival before opening the doors without waiting for a reply.

The office was just like any of them remembered seeing the last time either of them had been there. Schala and Zanya after passing the SeeD exam, Rian later that evening when they drafted out his contract.

In the middle of the pristine room, looking over his reading glasses while sitting on his fancy desk, Headmaster Cid stared back at them.

"Headmaster…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hello! Hello! And yeah, no one knows more than me how late this chapter is… Sorry about that…_

_Anyways, here it is! Fresh out the presser if it was printed… ;P Seriously now, I hope you liked. I was originally intending on making the whole part with the MD level and all but… well, I mean… you might have already figured out why I decided against it…_

_Thank you, my loyal readers! For putting up with my late updates! Hope you liked this one enough to stick around and read the rest. Next, on Twisted Fantasy… The search for a way to save Balamb Garden continues… Will the engineers get Galbadia Garden up and running in time to avoid the sorceress' wrath…? What is the fate of the SeeDs on the missile base mission? _

_All this and more, on the next chapter of Twisted Fantasy!! You won't want to miss it! I know I don't ;P_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	30. Chapter 30: Into the Depths

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… I mean, c'mon! Would __**you**__ trust me with it?_

**Chapter 30 – Into the Depths**

Seifer stepped out of the former Galbadian Headmaster's office, now the Chamber of his Sorceress and towards the access elevator. The couple of soldiers standing watch outside remained absolutely silent, though. From the look on the Knight's face, it was obvious he wasn't happy.

And if he wasn't happy, Sorceress Edea was bound not to be either.

Seifer did not spare them a word as he entered the lift and slapped his fist on the lowest button, merely one floor below. That was another thing that was ticking him off, why have a lift just for one floor difference?

As the doors closed, the soldiers exchanged a weary look. Something had truly pissed him off.

It wasn't the fact that, despite the confidence the Shinra engineers had shown at first, that the Garden was still stationary. And it wasn't the fact that the SeeDs had escaped the High Security Desert Prison. It wasn't even the fact that the loss of communications with the missile base could mean a failure of the launch against the other Gardens.

It was the combination of all three that had made Edea less than pleased, and that reflected on him greatly.

_**The wench does not offer just benefits, does she?**_ A deep and ghastly voice echoed within him, making him halt his swift pace momentarily.

Seifer had grown accustomed to have his Sorceress' voice reverberate through him at times, either soft and alluring or harsh and furious, like the one he had just experienced, but this was different. The Unknown King, his only GF, had been a source of great strength but also of great annoyance as of late.

_**You should not allow her dominion over your soul, boy. She is not what she appears to be.**_ The King continued, trying to sway him.

Through the link of Sorceress and Knight, the King had learned quite a lot about this new sorceress. And what he learned he didn't like. He had to make sure that whatever her plans were, she would not accomplish them and his safest bet onto stopping her was his new master. Seifer's spirit was wild and passionate, one of the reasons why taking the body of his former Matron had served this insane sorceress well enough, but that could also prove to be her demise. Especially considering his feelings towards that warrior girl from the other day, she could very well be the key to freeing his soul from her hold.

_I don't remember asking your opinion. Be quiet!_ Seifer snapped back.

That GF was always talking lately, ever since the parade he had been insistent about his sorceress only using him and that he meant nothing to her, but Seifer knew that wasn't true. Sorceress Edea… Matron… she had been the only mother figure he had ever known and she would never want him harmed. Besides, she wasn't using him, she needed his help, his protection and by his dream, he would stand by her side till the end of days.

Seifer resumed walking, a new wave of determination against his Guardian's attempts filling him.

… _**How naïve are thou…**_ The King sighed. The witch's brainwashing had been done well. He would not be swayed easily.

_That's enough from you, I have shit to do._ Seifer snapped again, his annoyance increasing considerably, so much that every soldier that crossed his path all but jumped from his way.

_**Very well… for now…**_ The King added and returned to the subconscious part of his mind.

Seifer almost breathed in relief as he, finally, reached the access to the MD levels of Galbadia Garden, though his irritation was still ever so present.

He was going to rip those damn geeks a new one if that thing wasn't moving soon.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Headmaster!" Xu called out as she, without ceremony, advanced through the office and towards the headmaster's desk.

Cid was surprised and completely caught off guard by the sudden entrance. He rose to his feet immediately, fearing for sure that the Garden Master's followers had finally found him. His surprise only increased when he recognized the people that entered after his second in command.

"Xu…? What…?!?" He asked as he slowly registered everything in his head, the dark haired woman already by his side.

The two started talking lowly but Schala, Zanya and Rian were too far away to listen, apart from a few surprised outbursts from the headmaster, no doubt at the mention of the missiles. Rian wanted to get closer, he even started to follow the senior SeeD inside but he stopped as he noticed the other two women had stopped by the threshold.

They stood straight, close to saluting and would probably do so whenever the headmaster would acknowledge their presence.

Their behaviour reminded Rian of the military. Around his home while he was growing up, there were always many army men and wherever he and his mother would go together. The men were always so proper and serious and all that… Military men, mercenary women…

"Is this true, Schala?" Headmaster Cid's voice echoed inside the office, snapping Rian out of his thoughts.

And just as he had expected, at the call the two women saluted on reflex. Cid immediately dismissed it and motioned them to approach him and so they did, Rian remaining a bit to the side. That was SeeD business, he understood that. Sure he wanted to do whatever he could to help out, but he knew when not to butt in.

As the SeeDs approached, Schala's soft nod was enough of a confirmation. He was beside himself. He had not seen that one coming. He was positive they would send some invading forces to try and take over Garden. The launch of missiles had honestly, never crossed him mind.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"We are, Sir!" Zanya added, fighting the impulse of saluting again as the headmaster turned to acknowledge her. "We saw them launching at Trabia! We're next!"

"What? They launched at Trabia Garden?!" Cid definitely had not seen that one coming.

_Albert…_ When he sent the SeeD team to warn the headmaster of Trabia Garden of a possible Galbadian incursion he was certain it would mean ground forces taking on his old friend's Garden, but missiles… there was no way of warning them of that. His bright blue eyes focused on the two SeeDs. Even breaking every single speed limit and safety protocol in the train ride they took to get there – which he was pretty sure they did – it would still mean at least six hours of voyage. If they saw the missile launch, that meant they must have already hit Trabia by now.

His friend was probably…

"Sir!" Xu's voice brought him back from his solemn thoughts. "Quentin and some others stayed behind to stop the launch, but we don't know if he ma…!" She continued, her voice cracking slightly at the end, "… if they made it." She corrected lowly.

There he was, musing on his own loses alone. Xu must have been worried sick about Quentin.

They had tried to hide their relationship, really they had, but they weren't very good at it. He honestly believed that everybody in Garden knew about those two being together. It was no secret to the point it wasn't even a gossip anymore.

But her concern snapped him out of it. There was no way to know what had happened in Trabia or in the missile base for that matter. The important now was Balamb Garden and make sure everyone in it was safe. For that, he had a plan.

_A plan? What plan? You don't even know for sure what you're going to find down there?!?_ He reasoned with himself. There was something buried deep inside the facility, something old but certainly something powerful. What it was or what it did, Cid didn't know, but he believed with all his soul that it could save Garden from the fate the Galbadians had for it.

But could it really? Even if it worked, whatever it was… would it be enough?

He couldn't take the chance it wouldn't…

"We must get the people out of here…" He mumbled, more to himself than the others. "The intercom is down so we can't announce the order to evacuate." He said now louder and meant for the others to hear.

"Raijin and Fujin are taking care of that." Schala provided.

"Yeah, and a load of other SeeDs we've ran into down there when we were looking for you, sir, know too!" Zanya added.

"They are rounding the people for evacuation as we speak." Schala completed with an acknowledging nod. Instructor Brandt, Doctor Kadowaki, and others, they'd make sure the most of the personnel and students would vacate the premises. Joan and the junior classmen…

"Good, that's good…" The headmaster said finally. Perhaps there was hope still, at least he had to believe that. If his kids were safe, there was no reason to still try and save their home too.

"I want you to assist them and then evacuate." He suddenly informed to their utter amazement.

"Sir, you aren't still going to…" Xu started but was cut off.

"The evacuation takes priority and I want everyone out before the missiles hit. Your safety is what's important." He added, cutting off Xu's protests with a meaningful glance.

That was something he had to do on his own.

Of course, the dark haired SeeD's protests did not go unnoticed. Schala stepped forward, her eyes searching the headmaster. He was planning something, she could feel it.

"Sir…" She started, causing the headmaster to turn to face her, surprise more than evident in his expression.

If there was someone he didn't expect to question his orders, it was her.

"Yes, Schala, what is it?" He wondered but she didn't answer, instead she kept staring at him. "If you're worried about your report that will have to wait for later, right now…"

But she wasn't listening. _There might not be a later…_ She wondered, but to mention her report would only serve as an excuse. She knew the headmaster Cid was up to something. Something that could save Garden or get him killed, or both… either way, hell would freeze over if she wouldn't do anything to save her home.

"You're not coming." She started easing up to it. It wouldn't exactly be proper to start accusing her headmaster straight out, even that simple and obvious statement caused quite the uproar.

"WHAT?!!!" Zanya cried out.

"No…! You can't!" Rian added as Xu unsuccessfully tried to calm them with gestures. But Rian would not be swayed. "Just come with us, please! Evacuate like the others, you can always rebuilt this place!"

Up till that last sentence, the SeeDs in the room might agree with him but they were hesitant after that. Schala half turned but didn't face the black haired young man. Yes, the place could be rebuilt but it wouldn't feel the same… not really…

"This is my home. I will not abandon it to its fate without a fight." He emphasized and Rian's resolve faltered. It wasn't what he said, it was the sheer determination of a mountain saying it would not yield to the storm.

And there it was, a glint of hope reflecting in his sparking blue eyes that gave Schala all the proof she heeded. He had a plan.

"Sir, what are you going to do?" Schala asked leaving everyone in the room in silence. The SeeDs and Rian just stared as the gunblader and the headmaster locked their eyes.

Cid looked away first.

"There still may be a way to save Garden." He said as he walked to the back of his desk, looking down at some papers as he did so, avoiding the curious and surprised eyes that seemed to beg him to elaborate.

Schala frowned, though her suspicion was confirmed. There was a way to save Garden and… and the headmaster was on it. But what was it? Was it enough? Was it dangerous? If that were the case, could he really handle it?

So the hope of Garden laid in a slightly overweight, pen pushing fifty-ish old man that hadn't work out for at least a decade and had no battle training whatsoever, even as he was the headmaster of a military academy…

She wouldn't have that.

"I'll go." Schala suddenly stated, not a request or wonder. Her determined tone left no space for doubts. Silence fell over the office with all eyes on her.

"I'll go in your stead." She repeated, not that anyone needed confirmation of her determination. They even suspected she would go anyways even if the headmaster dared to refuse.

"Don't you trust me to get the job done?" Cid wondered as he walked around his desk for a dramatic effect that would have been more impressive had he not trip and almost fall to the ground. Xu, Zanya and Rian made to move to help him, but he pulled himself together before anyone could effectively approach him.

"I'm too old for this…" He let out through muffled laughs, the words not reaching the other occupants in a coherent fashion.

Schala just stood there, piercing the headmaster with her chilling eyes. _Do I really have to answer that?_ She held back the comment, certain that there was no need for it. It was obviously clear that headmaster Cid was in no shape to take on that enterprise, even when he didn't lack the determination, his skills could leave wanting.

Cid raised his face knowing what he was going to find. Of course she was right, she would be a much better choice than him. Greater resistance, stamina and resilience, she was still young and it was more than certain that she would get the job done. No matter what they would find down there.

But there was something else nagging at the back of the headmaster's mind, a trace of curiosity he couldn't ignore…

"Why do you want to handle this matter?" He questioned.

All eyes fell on her again as she tilted her head in reflection, many thoughts invading her conscience in an instant.

_I don't know… Because you're likely to screw it up?!_ She hoped as an afterthought that that particular stray thought wasn't too evident on her eyes…

_Because I want to do more than just announce the evacuation… Because I want to find out your plan…_ Thought after thought ran in her mind, effectively avoiding the real reason why she couldn't just sit there without doing anything to stop it.

… _Because this place means so much to me, too…_ She ran out of excuses…

_Because this is my home…_ She finally admitted, her eyes closing for a moment as the words sunk in. Her home… the only other home she ever knew since…

She shook her head.

_There are too many reasons…_

As she raised her head and opened her eyes to answer, she rather she didn't. The knowing look on the headmaster's eyes… was he judging her? Analysing her? His amused blue eyes reminded her of the way Quentin often looked at her every time he believed he had figured something else about her _complex_ Psyche. It annoyed the hell outta her.

"Very well, I will then leave it in your capable hands." Cid surprised everyone by yielding, effectively drawing Schala, and many of the others, from their thoughts.

He still bore that look as he rounded the desk again, opening a drawer and removing something from within it. He then approached the brunette SeeD, Xu moving beside him.

"Here." He said as he placed something small and cold in her partially gloved hands. "This key opens the panel in the elevator. Go beneath the MD Level." He simply said, turning back to his desk as Schala stared at the small brass key resting in her palm.

"This building used to be a shelter of some sort before being remodelled into the Garden as we know it. A structure of suspected Centraian origin…" The headmaster elaborated before anyone could ask him to. "Centraian technology is ancient but advanced at the same time… they would have some mechanism of defence… rumour has it lays dormant deep beneath Garden."

Schala frowned, still looking at the small item in her hand as the others widened their eyes in surprise of the information.

"I'm not sure what exactly it is supposed to do, but if it was used as a shelter it should be effective against missiles." The headmaster continued.

_It all sounds kinda vague…_ Schala wondered, unknowingly sharing her thoughts with some of the others. There's something below but what it does, no one knows…

Schala's hand suddenly closed around the small key. No matter how farfetched it seemed to be, it was better than doing nothing. If there was the slightest of chances… she'd take it!

"I understand…" She said, raising her head to the headmaster. "We'll find it."

"I know you will." He replied, looking at the three teens and resting his eyes on Rian for a little while longer.

"Let's go." Schala told them, turning and heading for the door as the others were about to do the same when the headmaster's voice halted the three of them.

"Rian, wasn't it?" Cid inquired, clearly referring to the raven haired young man that tensed at the call before turning to acknowledge it.

They stared at each other for a moment before Rian broke the silence.

"Yes, Mr. Kramer." He finally replied, his tone apparently calm but Schala could detect the nervousness in his stance.

"The Boss of the Timber Owls…" Cid started again and it was Schala's turn to tense slightly.

She would have some explaining to do if they ever survived that ordeal. Looking back at the headmaster, he seemed to share her thoughts as his eyes were locked on hers. But that wasn't the time for a debriefing, Hyne knew how long they had before the missiles. But there was one thing he could not let pass…

"Rian, why don't you stay here with me while Schala and Zanya handle this matter." Cid said more than asked and Rian tensed further, no longer trying to conceal it.

This was what he feared, that the headmaster would deem it too dangerous for him to go along… but…

"But…" He started but was interrupted.

"I think that's a good idea." Schala stated, avoiding all eyes except for widened chocolate brown.

Rian couldn't believe it! After all they had been through together, he was still put aside when it really mattered.

"But…" He tried but she cut him off again.

"We don't know what we're going to find down there" She continued. "It's an unnecessary risk."

Rian was beside himself. He had proven he could take care of himself several times over and still… He glanced at Zanya for support, the martial artist's eyes simply darted from one to the other. Rian was visibly upset with the course of the conversation but Schala remained characteristically calm. The blonde girl could even swear she saw a hint of an apology reflected in her turbulent dark blue eyes but dismissed it. This was Schala we're talking about here.

When Zanya detected Rian's plea of assistance she immediately turned her head away, lowering it in shame. She wanted him to tag along, he was a good fighter and her friend but she couldn't go against both her squad leader AND the headmaster. Besides, there was a tiny-tinny part of her, a part she usually didn't pay any attention to, the rational part of her brain that told her Rian was probably safest up there. He was prone to getting into trouble…

Rian was astounded. They were all against him, but perhaps he could take it on a different approach.

"Exactly, you don't know what you're going to find down there!" He started again, encouraged he had found a loophole. "You're gonna need all the help you can get and I can help!"

Zanya's head turned back at him, a small shadow of a smile on her face. _Yeah, that might work._

Rian kept his hard stare in Schala's direction after, with some satisfaction, seeing the headmaster frown slightly at his statement. He was right after all. But his look wavered as Schala didn't seem the least disturbed with his comment.

"We'll manage." She replied, small words that almost sent Rian over the edge.

"C'mon, Schala…" He whispered only for her to hear as he stepped closer to her. "I can help!" He emphasized still too low to be heard by anyone other than the woman before him.

Schala shook her head slightly, her eyes suddenly softer than Rian had ever seen them.

"I know…" She whispered back, her voice also soft like the first time they spoke. He almost forgot where he was. "But still…"

"If the two of them going alone is what bothers you, that is easily resolved." Cid suddenly broke the moment, making Rian almost jump back in surprise.

Schala tore her eyes from the raven haired young man and towards the older man, her face still unreadable. As for Rian, he needed a couple of seconds to pull himself together but whatever Cid was about to say it didn't matter.

That look, the way she spoke to him. She had lowered her defences, just for one second but it happened. He could see she was worried. Worried about Garden, the missiles and him, she was worried about him. With so many things on her mind could he really be so selfish as to tag along, making her life harder just so he could be closer to her? He had to think for a bit. Yes, he was selfish… but not that much.

"Xu will accompany Schala and Zanya below to find and activate the mechanism." The headmaster told them, signalling the woman beside him that nodded in acknowledgement. "Will this satisfy your concerns?"

_Not in the slightest…_

"… Yes." Rian lied. Flat out lied, but it was the right thing to do.

Cid hesitated for just a second. He somehow knew the young man wasn't being entirely truthful but still he needed to take the chance. There was no time to lose.

"Then it is settled." He added and nodded at them as Xu joined with the other SeeDs. "Good luck." He added as the three women turned towards the lift, its doors opening immediately at their approach.

They crossed inside and Schala at once located the lock on the floor panel and inserted the key the headmaster had given her. There was a low click then the panel moved, revealing two more buttons in addition to the above ground floors. One was marked "MD" while the other had no call sign and that was the one Schala pressed.

_This must be it._ She reasoned. Headmaster Cid had told them to go below MD Level, it was the logical choice.

The doors started to close and Schala raised her head. Through the closing and then closed glass doors, she could still see Rian looking back at them. Their eyes locked and so remained for the time it took for the lift to descend and cut both their lines of sight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Timber eastern plains were peaceful and quiet till a thundering echo made packs of Ochus and Wendigos stampede in fright out of the nearby forests. Over their heads, a dozen or so missiles soared through the air, heading east towards the ocean…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Rian remained standing in the same spot where he last saw Schala disappearing onto the lower floors. His mind was still in turmoil, divided between the pain of being left behind and the worry for his newfound friends and…

"They will be alright." Cid spoke for the first time after they left making it the first time since then that Rian tore his gaze from the empty and closed elevator doors.

The headmaster had returned to his seat behind the heavy desk, apparently focused on a pile of papers he was going over but as Rian looked closely, he could see the older man seemed rather absentminded. He was obviously trying to hide it but he could not cover it completely…

He was worried too.

"They are SeeDs, they have been trained to do exactly these types of missions." Cid raised his head from the paperwork and looked straight at his dark brown eyes. "They will get the job done and then come back." He added with a small reassuring smile.

Though not completely reassured, Rian could not help but reply with a small nod and the headmaster returned to his papers. Rian breathed deeply. Yes, if there was something he had learned in the few days he had spent with the SeeDs was that they never gave up till the job was done, and they were going to be just fine. They had been through so much: survived his crazy train job plan, managed to escape Timber under the noses of the Galbadian soldiers; and had successfully escaped from Galbadia's top security prison, that short of a sorceress encounter there was nothing they couldn't handle. And the chances of encountering a sorceress in the depths of the Garden were slim to none.

Rian moved after so much time of just standing there and neared one of the leather couches laid around the office, sitting in one as his mind calmed and relaxed.

_Besides…_ He reasoned… _What's the worst that can happen?_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Look, there!" A Garden Faculty Member cried out as the central lift descended from the upper levels.

Three faculty members still controlled the main hall, near the directory, shouting orders left and right to the few cadets still under their commands when one noticed the elevator's movements.

"SeeD reinforcements?" Another one suggested as it was clearly seen through its glass casing that three women were inside and at least one wore the SeeD uniform.

Their surprise turned into shock as the lift didn't stop at the first floor but instead continued underground.

"They're going after Master NORG!" The first faculty cried out.

"Cid must have put them up to it!" The other one interjected.

"We have to stop them!" The third one that had remained silent till then spoke and moved to the lift's control panel, followed by his companions.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The elevator came to a sudden and screeching halt just as it passed the MD level, the lights flickering momentarily before the emergency lights kicked in.

"What the hell was that?!" Zanya cried out as the three women leaned against the glass walls for support.

"We stopped…" Xu commented as she moved to the panel and started pressing the button Schala had before.

As nothing happened, the dark haired SeeD tried pressing all of the other buttons but got exact the same result.

"We're stuck." She admitted at last, turning to the others.

"Now what?" Zanya wailed, looking from side to side and growing increasingly nervous. She wasn't too fond of tight spaces.

"We need to keep going." Schala finally said, looking around.

"And how are we going to get out of here…?" Zanya's question was cut off as Schala had just found and opened a hatch on the floor of the lift.

She looked up to the others and they both nodded, Zanya recovering immediately as she made for the trap door first.

Zanya looked down before trying to get out. That was a really long fall. She couldn't even see the bottom of the pit. Still, she had lesser problems with heights that she had with closed spaces, so she carefully stretched her legs outside the lift till she found the support of the ladder she'd seen before. Very carefully as to not lose her footing, Zanya crawled out of the lift and started to go down the ladder, constantly looking down and to the sides in search of some sort of access hatch.

She had already gone down a couple of metres when Xu followed in after her, very carefully and having to rise a bit of her skirt to move around better. The SeeD uniform usually wasn't very restraining but in that case it did hold back her movements considerably. After a bit, she was following Zanya down the elevator chute.

As Schala followed both their examples and climbed down of the elevator, a good five metres underneath her, Zanya let out a small cry of happiness. Another five metres below, she could see an access shaft. She climbed down with increased enthusiasm till she was side by side with the entrance that was blocked with some gratings. She made little of those with a well positioned and powerful kick and the passageway was then open.

Zanya shifted her weight to get hold of the bar over the hatch and then jumped in, disappearing from the other two's sight. A muffled cry of "All clear!" told them it was safe and Xu descended the final stappes, placing her to the side of the entrance.

Xu was getting in when Schala, that was still a bit higher, heard something from above her. She looked up and saw as the lift gave itself a bit.

_Oh crap…_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"You've already stopped the elevator, what are you doing?" One of the faculty members asked the other that was messing around with the controls of the lift.

"The Garden Master should be safe now." The other one commented, glimpsing back as the commotion of cadets against SeeDs died down behind them.

"These are Cid's SeeDs we are talking about here." The one at the control panel told them. "They are nothing but persistent… We have to make sure they won't be a nuisance ever again…" He added…

… Then he disabled the breaks…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Xu had just slid inside the hatch when the elevator skidded a couple more metres forcing Schala to hurry. Grabbing the sides of the ladder instead of the handles, Schala slid down the remaining metres, releasing it to get a hold of the top of the duct just as the lift started to free fall.

Schala all but slipped inside, her head going in millimetres away from the falling cage that disappeared farther down the chute.

"What was that?" Zanya asked from her forward position in the circular duct they found themselves at.

"Schala, you ok?" Xu added, not entirely believing what her eyes had just seen. That had been WAY too close.

"I'm fine, keep going." She said, sounding somewhat as an order and, shrugging, Zanya complied.

A few minutes of crawling in the dark and damp tunnel, Zanya moved over a new grating. Seeing there was something under it, she kicked it down and jumped to the room below. Looking from side to side, she saw it was clear and signalled Xu to follow down, Schala joining them soon after.

The three female SeeDs found themselves in a similar tunnel, only this one was wider, allowing them to stand upright and had low intensity lights on the ceiling and some crude and slimy fluid covering the ground.

"Yuck, what is this stuff?" Zanya complained. "It's getting all over my sneakers…" She added in a whisper as Schala kneeled down to check it.

The fluid was black and very slimy. It almost looked like…

"Oil…" She concluded. "We're standing on an oil stratum." She added for the others to hear.

"The Garden has oil down here?" Zanya cried out. Xu seemed equally surprised. "Does that mean we're like… rich?" Zanya added. Oil was a valuable commodity after all.

_The headmaster probably doesn't know this is down here…_ Schala reasoned, unknowingly sharing Xu's thoughts but about a different subject. If Norg found out about that black gold mine, he wouldn't need SeeD anymore to make him money, and that was all that mattered to him…

"We need to be careful…" Schala suddenly remembered. _With so much oil around…_ "Refrain from using fire down here." She elaborated as the other two women looked back at her.

_A little spark even and we'll all go down in flames._

"She's right, oil is very flammable." Xu added, looking intently at Zanya, checking if she understood.

Ifrit would probably be able to protect her from the fire, but not the others… Zanya nodded. No fire.

"Let's keep moving." Schala mentioned and, following the deficient lighting, the three women continued to move further into the depths of Balamb Garden's underground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Move out!" Mark's strong voice reverberated through the hall of the parking lot. "Remember to lay low and use ID's other than Garden issued ones, we can't discount the possibility the Galbadians will still come here." He ordered as he managed the other SeeDs, cadets and other personal into the evacuation transports.

Ever since he learnt about the incoming missiles, instructor Brandt had been in a hectic struggle to evacuate the highest amount of people. Of course the number and type of transports present weren't nearly enough to get everybody out, they weren't designed for mass evacuation, but they should be able to vacate most of the non essential personnel.

"Joan, you all set?" He called out to the short blond haired SeeD that had just sat in the driver's seat after helping a class of junior cadets settle in the truck's back area.

The woman nodded as she placed the key in the ignition.

"Ok, you're good to go!" Mark told her.

"Will do, instructor." She replied with a salute.

"Get outta here." He returned the salute then just waved her off.

Joan turned on the car and drove out of the parking lot along with another packed transport. The lot was getting emptier by the minute and there were still many people to get out of there.

"Mark!" An aged female voice called out from the entrance making the instructor turn to greet Doctor Kadowaki that walked along with some of her aids, bandaged people either limping or on wheelchairs or gurneys.

"Hah, doctor, good timing." Mark replied after signalling a cadet onto a transport. "We're running out of cars, we have to evacuate your people." He added just as the Doctor reached his position.

She turned to her aids and motioned them to split towards the remaining transports before facing him.

"Are these all?" He wondered as only about a dozen of patients were being loaded into the trucks.

"The only ones able for transport, yes." The doctor provided as she gave some extra instructions to a cadet. "I have a few serious cases that cannot be moved." She added.

Instructor Brandt looked at her intently.

"Maggie..." He whispered, knowing perfectly the answer to his following question. "You're not going." He said more then asked.

Doctor Kadowaki looked back at him with her usually penetrating eyes, ones that just looked straight through people.

"Are you?" She asked, also knowing what his answer would be. He was the 'go-down-with-the-ship' kinda man.

Mark smiled, having been caught in the act. He was evacuating everyone he could but knew it would not be enough. And he would never leave anyone behind.

"Fair enough." He conceded. "Do any of them require special care?"

"My trainees will see to the ones that do." She clarified, her eyes locking onto his for a second as she pondered her words. "You know anything about Cid? Is he up to something?" She narrowed her eyes. The headmaster was no mere pushover, she was sure he had some extravagant plan to save Garden somehow.

Mark merely shrugged.

"You know the headmaster as well as I do." He hinted, sporting an amused smile despite the situation. "What do you think?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Zanya jumped down the final steps of yet another long ladder, landing steadly on a wider platform below. Looking around, she verified that it was all clear, no monster encounter and, well... nothing. No access path, no control room, at least not at that level. She turned as the other two women descended onto the same platform.

"It looks like a dead end." The blonde martial artist told them and they soon confirmed her words. There didn't seem to be anything around.

They circled the round platform, looking around for anything else and only found, on the other side of the thick middle column, another ladder leading up.

"We're going up now? I thought we were going down..." Zanya commented, sighing heavily.

Xu wasn't paying attention as her and Schala seemed to follow the stairs in search of an objective. Xu got to it first.

"Over there!" She called out to the others, Schala already looking at it. "Looks like some sort of control room."

Schala nodded, indeed it seemed to be. _Is that it? What we're looking for?_ She wondered. _Whatever is going to save Garden, it's there?_

"Alright, let's go!" Zanya cheered, believing that they had finally reached their destiny.

She moved to the ladder and the moment she supported her weight in it, it gave out a little.

"Woah!" She exclaimed as she all but jumped off of it. "This doesn't look very safe." She said, a frown showing up on her companions' faces.

That was troublesome. The ladder would probably not withstand the weight of the three of them, hell... it could barely hold even one.

The two women turned towards Schala. Zanya had already accepted her as the unconditional leader, even before all the recent events, she was the clear head she looked for guidance. Xu, she was convinced Schala had an enormous potential, idea she picked up from Quentin mostly, but even the Headmaster seemed to have great faith and confidence on her. Who was she to refute their claims? She would have to wait and see if their trust was warranted. So far, the brunette gunblader had not disappointed.

Schala felt, once again, being pressed towards making a decision. Why her? She never asked for it. Still, her already calculating mind had already considered a possible course of action. Zanya would be a not so good idea, she was the heaviest among them. Too many muscles.

Between her and Xu, the older woman was probably the lightest, but still Schala was hesitant in sending her up there. First, the weight difference should not be very significant, a couple or so kilograms, second was the inherit danger the activity carried. She had already sent three people to an uncertain fate, could she do it again? She probably would have to and she probably could... but not this time.

"I'll go check it. You two wait here." She told them and didn't give any of them the chance to argue, starting to climb the ladder.

The iron framing croaked and shifted slightly as she moved as fast and safely as possible, the two women below with no other choice but too look up and hope for the best.

Despite the loud cracks and general instability, the ladder kept at its place as Schala climbed to the top, a good ten to fifteen metres high. She was already halfway up when the ladder began to give in. It started with increasing shaking and then, part of it dislodged from the wall completely.

_Oh crap..._

.

"Schala!" Both women cried out when the ladder broke from the wall and collapsed, falling over their heads and against the opposite wall...

.

Schala held on for dear life as the ladder collapsed. Mid motion, she looked back and, out of extraordinary luck or extreme lack there of, from the trajectory she saw she was going to crash straight into the control room they had seen before.

She had to move quickly as the wall was getting closer by the second. Holding to the side of the ladder, Schala hanged and went around the side so she would not come in head first but behind the ladder. She prepared for the collision that came soon after.

The glass wall collapsed on contact, shaking the entire control room as Schala was projected inside and against the inner wall. She rolled to a crouching position, avoiding setting her hands on the glass as she assessed the situation. One, she was alive, that was a good thing. Second, she was in. At least she ended up where she wanted to go in the first place, though the near death experience was dispensable.

The impact had done more than shatter the entire glass window, she witnessed as she looked around. Though the controls seemed undamaged, the passageway out of the control room had collapsed, blocking the exit completely. Seemed she had to find another way out, probably out the same way she came in, but now she was more concerned with the controls.

She examined the consoles and could make little of it. Most of the displayed data made no sense and the only functional part of the panels seemed to be the one displaying a circular platform with a pillar in the middle, platform she verified by briefly looking out the broken windows, was the one her companions were at and that she had just been.

Her examination done, it became obvious that whatever device that could save Garden, it wasn't there. However, it was also apparent that to continue their path in search of it, she would have to activate those controls. So she did.

.

"Woah!" Zanya cried out as, moments after the crash, the ground began to shake and rumble and afterwards, to move, actually opening around the platform they were at.

"Seems she made it." Xu commented with a smile, as she imagined the proud and relieved expression Quentin was sure to sport at the brunette's actions. Their trust in her was starting to be comprehensible to her.

.

Schala looked outside as, when she finished handling the controls, not knowing exactly what she was doing, there was a loud rumble of machinery and she saw, both below as on the screens on the control panel that the ground opened around the platform, allowing them access to the lower levels.

Seemed like there was still a long way down to go.

When the ground stopped moving and Schala verified no errors occurred, she deemed it safe to go back down. She looked rather eerily towards the unstable iron ladder, hesitant for a second about it withstanding her descent but her choices were limited and it would have to do. She climbed up and carefully as to distribute her weight as much as she could, she started to climb back down.

After a few minutes, she reached the bottom where the two other SeeDs stood waiting, in their faces it was obviously reflected the relief of her being safe.

"Damn, girl, that was close!" Zanya cried out as Schala jumped down from the collapsed ladder. "You ok?"

Schala just nodded, her heartbeat already settled from the previous scare.

"You sure? Because you just went through a wall!" _A glass wall, but still… _Xu wondered, smiling briefly at the dismissive wave. That was another thing Quentin had mentioned about her.

She did not show weakness if she could help it. Whatever she'd been through, when it was over it was over, time for the next. She didn't dwell...

"We need to keep moving." She said as to end all that concern for her.

She didn't like it much, having people hover over her safety. She was a SeeD, danger was her business and the missiles were still heading their way, they had no time to lose.

She moved to the opened railing, resulting from the same procedure that had opened the floor, and moved to descend the new ladder that presented itself, this one appearing to be more secure than the previous one.

Schala went first at that time, followed by Zanya with Xu taking the rear as the three SeeDs continued to explore the depths of Balamb Garden.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Why aren't we moving yet?" Seifer's roar made the edgiest of the scientists jump in fright.

Seifer had arrived at the base of operations almost half an hour before and the Shinra personnel had given him little attention, saying it would be done within minutes. Seifer's patience, however, did not last that long.

"Sir Seifer, these are delicate, not to mention ancient devices." One of the senior engineers attempted to explain, yet again. "We can't just start pressing buttons and levers without knowing what we're doing."

_Why the hell not…?_ Seifer wondered, also not for the first time. All that thinking and studying… he was a man of action and that's what he wanted, not excuses or delays. If it was up to him, they'd just press anything and everything till something happened.

"We know what we're doing." The man added as the Knight didn't seem satisfied with his reply. "We'll be operational in a few minutes, be patient." He added and returned to work on some panel.

"That's what you said half an hour ago…" Seifer grumbled under his breath.

Why did his Sorceress have to use these damn geeks? Seifer wasn't known for his patience and the little he had was wearing thin as it was.

Resign to let his imagination soar in ways to harm or otherwise maim everyone else in the room, Seifer crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Waiting… he was getting truly tired of waiting…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The three SeeDs had been, carefully, climbing down that same ladder for several minutes till Schala could finally see the bottom. They must have been many metres below the mains structure of the Garden by then. How the hell were they going to go back up?

Putting that thought aside, Schala dropped the final steps towards the new platform, assessing her surroundings. Well, she couldn't see them going much lower than that. They were right in the middle of the oil stratum now. All surrounding and under the platform, there were litres and litres of thick, black crude.

Now more than ever, fire or any spark whatsoever were completely and absolutely forbidden… any of that and they wouldn't have to wait for the missiles. They'd blow up the Garden themselves…

"There's a passage over there." Xu pointed out at the far end of the platform, her and Zanya having already left the ladder. "But the doors appear to be closed." She added and Schala confirmed it.

The blast doors blocked their advance.

"Maybe this does something!" Zanya commented and before any of the other women could react, she pulled down a lever hanging on the column near the ladder the others had missed to notice.

There was a loud rumbling from the general direction of the door and then the blast doors began to lift, revealing a passageway inside.

"Nice." Zanya cheered and as much as the other two SeeDs wanted to scold her for her impulsive actions, truth was it worked. They couldn't complain.

"C'mon!" She called out as she was almost at the catwalk.

Xu shook her head. That girl had monster stamina. Did she ever get tired? She sighed and looked to the side, where Schala still stood and had to suppress a giggle. From the young SeeD's expression, she apparently shared her thoughts.

"Let's go, then." Xu added, snapping Schala off her thoughts and both rushed over towards the passageway over the oil, where Zanya awaited impatiently.

"C'mon, slowpokes!" She called out and started crossing the catwalk just before the other two reached it.

"Zanya, watch out!" Schala's usually collected voice echoed in the wide area sending alarm bells all over Zanya's head.

Instinctively, the shorter woman jumped back just in time to avoid being squashed by a large and slimy mass that landed just where she was standing not half a second before. Zanya rolled to a crouching position as her companions approached, verifying that there were not one but two weird mutated squid-like monsters that had apparently leaped from the oil since they were dripping it all over the catwalk.

"Dammit!" Zanya cursed under her breath. That had been close.

"Seems we'll have to pass through these… things first." Xu commented signalling the oily creatures that swayed over the passageway, filling it with crude.

Schala merely nodded in agreement. She had actually been surprised they had yet to encounter any resistance down there. Not one monster in sight throughout their entire descent in the unexplored lower levels, though she wouldn't have minded to keep their enterprise monster-free.

"Let's get'em!" Zanya shouted and charged in, the other two women following close behind.

The blonde girl rushed towards the closest Oilboyle readying a round kick but as she got closer the grated floor became extremely slippery, so much it required all her agility to keep from falling face first into the oil. Her attack forgotten, all her focus was centred in maintaining her balance and so she couldn't do anything as the monster advanced for an attack of its own.

The creature rose what appeared to be its head (they couldn't be sure) and took a breath but never got the chance to strike. The Oilboyle screeched in pain as a silvery sai pierced what seemed to be its mouth, preventing it from doing whatever it was going to do.

The window of opportunity was enough for Zanya to recover and attempt another charge, careful now where she placed her feet. She jumped at the monster just as it released itself from the small weapon and could not defend itself from the powerful flying kick delivered by the blonde martial artist, whose foot merely bounced back on contact. Zanya fell back to the platform, landing with a roll but she was confused. She landed the blow perfectly but it sorted no effect whatsoever. Just what were those things made of? Marshmallows?

Schala was having little luck with the other Oilboyle as well. Though her blade was as sharp as they come, it made not a dent on the monster's gelatinous' skin. Even using the gunblade's trigger barely made a scratch. And Schala was too close.

The Oilboyle lunged forward, like it wanted to suck her in, but a well positioned Ice spell halted its movements for long enough so that Schala could gain some distance. She turned slightly towards Xu who stood a bit to the back, holding her two sais, after recovering the one she'd thrown, but Schala couldn't afford to be careless since the monster prepared for a new attack.

Schala tried another Blizzara but the effects of the ice magic caused little damage, forcing her to back off some more to evade the creature's advances. To her side, Zanya and Xu were having the same luck. Zanya's punches and kicks bounced back and Xu's sais could barely penetrate the slimy skin and even when they did, they never got in worse than a flesh wound. They needed to switch tactics.

Not being fast enough to reach the backing brunette, one of the Oilboyles proceeded to a longer range attack. It took a breath and shot out a portion of oil that hit millimetres away from Schala's feet. She immediately jumped back, avoiding it splashing over her.

Schala looked up to the slithering monster. That was an annoying new development. To her side, her two companions just realized the same as, instead of a shot, an authentic spray of oil spat out of the other creature's mouth, making the women jump and roll to avoid it, Zanya slipping on her landing but managing to recover before she fell.

"Man, what a well positioned Fira spell wouldn't do for these guys…" Zanya cursed, loudly too making Xu worry considerably.

"You can't! The oil!" She stressed, jumping to avoid a new spurt of said substance.

"I know!" Zanya replied. She was perfectly aware it would become a living Hell down there if the oil ignited. That if it didn't blow the Garden and them to millions of burned pieces.

_But what if the flames don't reach the oil…_ She wondered and the memory of the SeeD exam and the interrogation room in the desert prison flashed in her mind.

"Schala!" She called out over the battle, making the brunette turn to acknowledge her as she avoided a new attack. "Can't you ice this place up? Protect the oil?" She wondered, ducking under an oil shot.

_Ice it up?_ Schala wondered, focusing deep inside her. Shiva would usually be more than able to do that, but the Ice Goddess was still out of commission after her stunt back at the prison. A stunt that had saved her life. In any case, Schala couldn't do it as massively as it was required without her Guardian.

"I can't…" She replied but then something else flashed in her mind. _Maybe…_

True they couldn't use fire in the present circumstances and it was also true that fire would be the most effective way of defeating the white rubbery monsters. They appeared to have a large amount of oil within their bodies. They'd go down in flames in seconds.

So if they couldn't use fire there, maybe they could do it somewhere else…

"Zanya, get ready!" Schala called out, starting to focus as Xu took her place in keeping the other Oilboyle busy.

A black mass materialized in front of them and Diablos emerged from within it.

_Lock them up in your dimension…_ Schala ordered. _Then let Zanya in…_ She added making the dark Guardian smile in understanding. He was in for quite a sight…

The dark matter expanded, covering the two monsters that, in surprise, never had a chance to escape it.

"Zanya!" Schala called out again and the martial artist looked back at her confused for a moment. "Go light them up." The gunblader added with an almost smile on her face and comprehension finally reached her.

"Alright!" She cheered and all but jumped inside the wide, black bubble.

Xu and Schala remained outside, unsure of what exactly was going on inside the altered dimension.

_**Ouch… that had to hurt…**_ Diablos comments weren't helping either…

"You think she's ok…?" Xu barely had the time to finish her query as the black bubble dissolved revealing quite the sight.

_**That girl is dangerous…**_ Diablos admitted with a mix of surprise, admiration and Schala was surprised herself to detect a fraction, if yet extremely small, of… was it fear?

The two poor creatures were barely a pile of carbonized flesh, still smoking but no longer burning. Diablos vanished in a bat cloud that flew off leaving the three women with the burnt remains.

"That was fast…" Xu commented, wide eyed as she stared at the monsters. She was barely thirty seconds inside.

"Time is different in Diablos' dimension." Schala provided, also surprised that the martial artist was able to dispatch the monsters so swiftly and effectively.

Zanya sported an impossibly huge smile.

"Took me less than five minutes." She told them. "They went out in flames… Sorphan would have liked to see it." She added with a mischievous smile. She would make him so envious later.

"Good job." Schala complimented, making Zanya's smile change into a proud blush.

"Now that that is settled…" Xu started, obviously referring to the burnt-to-a-crisp monsters. "We should keep going."

"Right!" Zanya cheered.

"Let's go." Schala added and once again, the three women ran over the still oily catwalk and into the nearby structure hoping to find what they were looking for… and fast.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A flock of seagulls parted ways in panic as the dozen or so Shinra engineered Galbadian missiles crossed the ain just out the western coast of Balamb Island.

The rockets auto-pilot ability was then overrun by the advanced intelligent targeting system upon their approach on the set target coordinates. They adjusted their relative position preparing to engage…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Is this it?" Zanya wondered after she was able to pry the last set of blast doors open with her unusual strength.

"Looks like it." Xu commented as they stepped forward.

The three women had entered a relatively small circular area with control consoles and panels all around it. Now the platform was tiny in relation to the extremely wide surroundings. The SeeDs stared in awe at the heavy and gigantic cogs and gears that adorned the rest of the room. They couldn't even see the ceiling in the deficient lighting that activated when they had come in.

But that had to be it, also because they hadn't seen any other place to go. Such massive machinery just had to be the thing that could save Garden.

They approached the control consoles and, after about thirty seconds of analysing it, Xu sighed.

"So… How do we make it work?" Zanya started, passing her gloved hands over several knobs and buttons.

"I don't have the slightest clue …" Xu admitted, narrowing her eyes as she tried to make out the half-faded writing and symbols. "I don't understand a word of what's on this…"

"What do we do, then?" Zanya asked, apparently to no one in particular but seconds after she turned to Schala with begging eyes.

Schala stared back at her. What was she expecting? Schala didn't know anymore about that technology that she did. Even the Headmaster didn't know anything, what was making her thing Schala could get it to work? True, she had managed to make the other thing work earlier but even she didn't know how she did it…

Nevertheless, she approached the controls under Zanya's expecting eyes, and looked around. The mannerism was practically the same as the other one but with many more functions, it seemed. Xu was still staring at them, unsure on how to proceed and she almost cried out in alarm as Schala started activating flips and switches apparently at random.

"Schala, do you have any idea what you're doing?" Xu asked, turning at her fully.

"… No." Schala answered, without even tearing her eyes from the consoles as she continued to turn valves and pressing buttons.

"So, do you think you should be messing around with it without knowing what you're doing?!" Xu stressed.

Zanya rushed closer, trying to calm things up but it was all in vain.

"I don't know!" Schala bursted out, turning around to face the two women and leaning against the consoles for support.

She hung her head as she set her hands over the panels behind her.

"What else can I do!?" She let out and shifted her position, one of her hands accidentally landing on a switch.

The SeeDs were then startled by a sudden and loud rumbling that made the three of them turn their attentions to the heavy turbines in the centre of the room. They began to sparkle and spin, the whole contraption bursting into activity before their very eyes.

Schala looked down at the console, removing her hand of the now flashing switch and looking back up again.

_We did it…_ She thought and then the platform shook tremendously, like it was shifting in place. More sounds came from below them somewhat muffled by the loud turning of the turbines and then suddenly the platform descended a couple of centimetres.

Time seemed to stop for the five seconds and a half in which the platform stopped shaking. The women barely even registered the machinery noises and then they could no longer hear them.

The platform shot up at amazing and unimaginably unsafe speed, causing the SeeDs to hang on with everything they had to anywhere they could. As they neared the ceiling and started to imagine being squashed like pancakes, a circular gap of the exact width as the platform opened up and they just rammed through it with Zanya's screams being dampened by the insane speed at the same time that it echoed in the tight tunnel.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright, we've run out of evacuation transports." Instructor Brandt mentioned as he and many other SeeDs and cadets moved through the corridor in front of the dorms. "We gotta gather the rest of them from the cafeteria and quad and start planning the track into town."

Mark had exhausted every other means of evacuation Garden had to offer but there were still a lot of people inside Balamb Garden. Without any other way, they would have to walk, run or drag themselves into Balamb Town. Most of them were bound to have arrived already.

"Did you hear that?" A male cadet with dark skin and thick hair wondered as he stopped abruptly, looking down to the floor. He could have sworn he had heard something coming from below him, somewhat muffled by the pavement.

Before anyone could comment, the ground shook throwing some off their feet. The ones left standing stared at each other and then, like the kid before, they stared down at he once pristine marbled floor.

A new sound reached them, like an opening hatch that made all of them stand back. The noise grew louder and there was no warning when something burst through the floor and kept rising in the air towards the higher levels.

The SeeDs and cadets shook the debris off their heads as they stared up and the quickly raising platform with a woman's continuous scream filling their ears.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What was that?" Rian all but jumped from his seat, dropping the book the headmaster had given him.

The Headmaster stood as well as an unusual rumbling echoed throughout his office. Something rocked the structure making the older man grab his desk for balance. The two males looked at each other as the headmaster approached the younger man's position and both stared down at the marbled floor, from where the sound was coming.

The rumbling seemed to be getting louder but the two men remained standing there, pondering on the origin of the noise. Now, a wiser man would have stood aside from a place where a loud sound was coming from, but such thought never crossed the non-military men.

The ruckus became almost deafening and when it crossed both their minds that moving away might be a good idea, it was too late. A muffled cry was the last thing they heard when something burst through the floor beneath them and rose above the headmaster's office. The platform then came to a screeching and sudden halt, its base fixing and settling a good five metres off the floor.

The debris shifted with those beneath them stirred.

"Damn, that was f…" Zanya started as she threw a large piece of marbled pavement off of her, but was fortunately interrupted.

"Intense…" Xu commented, stumbling to her feet and ignoring Zanya's curses as she too stood from under the consoles where she had sought refuge.

Schala supported herself on the panels as she strained to stand. _Intense_ was quite the accurate word. Not only had they climbed up in seconds what had took them the better part of an hour to descend, but the changes in the Garden's constructions, mainly the re-flooring on the several levels that sealed the path of the ascending platform had made their ascent all the more turbulent.

She cleared her head and focused on what was around her. She didn't recognise the room. Looking over and beneath the consoles on the platform, she saw a wide office with a sturdy desk and glass walls surrounding the entire room with view to the Garden's grounds.

_We're… above the headmaster's office? _She wondered when a couple of non-female groans reached her and the other SeeDs' ears, making them reach for their weapons in alarm. Their tenseness eased up instantly when they recognized the origin of the groans. Both the Headmaster and Rian were lying on the ground, sore and hurting from the sudden "pick up".

"Headmaster Cid!"

"Rian!!" Both women rushed to help the two men as Schala remained where she was.

They didn't appear hurt as much as shaken up. They'd be fine, Schala knew and so her concern focused on other matters. Ok, they had activated something and the platform had raised high above ground level… now what?

As she heard the other two SeeDs checking up on the two men, with the two men showing relief, between painful groans, for them being alright, Schala detected a new sound that made her look up. She then froze in place.

"I think I'm alright…" Rian admitted, finally being able to stand on his own as Xu was still helping the headmaster. Zanya seemed more than relieved but the young man paid her little attention, his interest suddenly focused on someone else.

"Schala…" He let out, staring at her for a moment. Apart from a couple of scrapes and some unidentified thick black substance half covering her, she seemed to be alright.

Rian frowned.

"Schala?!" He called out as she had been absolutely still for several seconds. Rian followed her stare upwards and was equally frozen to what he saw…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The golden ring hovering high above Balamb Garden began to glow bright blue as it started to turn round and around causing the wiring attaching it to the ground to break. The ring started to spin faster and faster so much that it started to change. The inner ring widened as it began to descend in a pillar of blinding light.

As it passed the top of the Garden it was like it was covering it with a bluish layer that seemed to compact the several sections of the Garden. The third and second floor were coated and the first floor areas like the cafeteria, infirmary and the library, among the rest of them, shifted towards the inside, eliminating the long access halls as the Garden was condensed by a blue casing. The high tower that marked the entrance to the Garden shook and shifted, inclining outwards like a risen tail as the ring descended below it.

A thick and heavy dust cloud rose high above the ground as the ring contacted with the ground, hiding the base of the Garden from sight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What the hell just happened!?" Zanya let out as the five people on the raised platform in the headmaster's office could only stare as the ring descended, changing the Garden along with it.

Everyone had the same question stamped in their minds and faces so no one dared to advance an answer. One thing was clear in their minds, however…

Whatever it was…

"This is it!" Cid exclaimed. "This is the ancient Centraian device!"

The dust could rose with the movement of the entire structure, suddenly calling Schala's attention to the horizon to the west.

"So, we're safe now, right?" Rian asked but his query was soon forgotten as much as it was answered.

"Missiles incoming!!!" Schala's unusual loud and tense voice made all shift their attentions to the direction the SeeD was staring at.

Over the western mountains they say several bright dots that seemed to be getting bigger. They could only be the Galbadian missiles sent to destroy them and they were fast approaching.

Within seconds they surrounded the Garden, rising up into the air as they prepared their final approach.

Whatever cries of frustration or disbelief released by any of the platform's occupants was muffled and cut off as the entire structure shook and rose and then… moved…?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The dust cloud had settled and Balamb Garden now stood above ground with the previously high ring spinning beneath it. The circular and fast motion somehow gave the Garden the ability to move and it slid from its original position instants away from the heavy missile impact whose blinding explosions made the SeeDs, Rian and Cid cover their eyes.

Rocks and debris were sent flying as a result, with the blast's shockwave propelling Garden farther away from the target site and flying across the Balambian plains.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What the hell…?" Zanya couldn't even finish her outburst.

"We're moving…?!" Schala let out after a couple of seconds of awe.

Everyone was close to speechless, such was the sight of it all. Surviving the missile attack, the Garden… moving! It all seemed so surreal.

"So this is it…" Cid started, suddenly the calmest of them all as he simply looked out to the peaceful Balambian plains. "This is the secret…"

"Unbelievable." Xu let out, in shock like many others.

"Oh man…! This is AWESOME!!!" Zanya cried out, leaning over the platform's railings for a better look outside. They where so high up…

"It's… amazing!" Rian let out, tearing his eyes from the wondrous outside view to the inside one.

He smiled tenderly at the sight of the SeeD leader. Schala stood still in front of the consoles but what was surprising was her stance. She was relieved, relaxed even, he could tell. It was like the weight of the world was finally lifted off her shoulders and, even for just that one second, just for one moment, she had not a care in the world.

"Why don't you go downstairs to check on it better" The headmaster suggested, gaining immediate approving nods from Zanya and Rian. Schala turned to look at him. "And while you're at it, check if everyone left is ok and wasn't hurt in the '_move_'…"

Schala stared at him for a while then nodded, ignoring her companions' celebrating cheers.

"There seems to be a small lift here…" Xu pointed out while standing on the opposite side of the platform. "Maybe you can use it to go down to the office. I'll stay here with the headmaster." She added.

"Right'o!" Zanya cheered and all but ran to the lift, stopping with one foot in and another out. "You comin'?"

Nodding again, Schala joined her with Rian already by her side. Once the three of them were completely standing over the small rig, it descended till it stopped at the office level.

"Alrigth!" Zanya cheered, yet again. "Hmm…. We could check out the second floor balcony! It has a wider view." She suggested to which Schala, yet again, nodded in agreement.

"Let's go." She added as the three teens rushed over to the lift, hoping it was still operational despite the vibrations caused by the moving Garden.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There was a loud and quaking rumbling in the north of Monterosa Plateau that made every type of wild life, monster and otherwise, scatter in fright.

The large red structure in its centre was bathed in light as the higher ring glowed and started to spin. The twin towers trembled and collapsed underground as the ring descended and all the other towers shifted downwards. The ring expanded and surrounded the entire Galbadian structure, covering it with a red layer that altered the shape of the Garden, making it rounder as the main entrance shifted, resembling more a snake's head.

As the upper ring reached the base of the red Garden and dust rose, also the lower rings began to spin. Suddenly the entire structure lifted up from the ground. Rocks and dirt spread all around it as the back grounds and all the structures in them, instead of collapsing rose alongside the main building. The towers that had previously collapsed now rested underneath the Garden as it continued to rise.

As the dust and debris settled, Galbadia Garden hovered high above ground. The triple ring system had fused into a single one that now spun swiftly and in an angle directly below the now, mobile Galbadia Garden.

The plains were now silent apart from the constant humming of the spinning ring as it began to head towards the coastline, where the Galbadian Armada awaited.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"WOW!!!" Zanya cried out as she ran over to the balcony.

They were moving, Balamb Garden was actually moving high above the green plains. The wind soared strongly through them and a flock of seagulls flew alongside the magnificent blue structure. Below, they could catch a glimpse of the spinning ring, hovering just above the tree line.

"It's marvellous." Rian let out as he and Schala approached the railings of the second floor balcony, staring away at the unbelievable sight before their eyes. Seemed like something out of a dream.

Rian tore his eyes from the stunning sight and on to the balcony, ignoring the mess the wind was making of his hair. There were more people enjoying the view besides the three of them. Some cadets and SeeDs stared in awe at the unexpected development. But his attention was not so much on the surprised SeeDs as it was in one in particular.

Schala leaned slightly over the railings, her eyes closed as if in thought but something was different that time. There was no frown on her face. It was almost like she was enjoying the breeze, letting it play with her unruly hair, again without a care in the world.

So much had they been through together in those past few days that Rian never truly believed she could act so peaceful. Like that, calm and serene, and no frown, her beauty surpassed her surroundings. There was no comparison.

"Schala, Zanya!" Xu's hurried tone shattered the moment as Schala turned around, frown back on her face, and stared back at the senior SeeD.

She didn't like that tone one bit.

"What's wrong?" Zanya asked, her too detecting the urgency of the slightly older woman's voice.

"It's the headmaster!" She let out as they rushed towards her. "We gotta head back to the bridge on the double!" She added and stormed out of the balcony, the three teens hot on her heels.

"What is it?" Rian wondered as they turned towards the lift that was still there as if waiting for them.

"You have to see to believe it." She replied, very vaguely at best, but whatever it was it couldn't be good.

Within seconds the four of them where back in the headmaster's office and rushing towards the smaller lift. Unsure it could take four people at once, Schala and Xu boarded it first with Zanya and Rian having to wait a few seconds for their turn.

Schala and Xu reached to 'bridge' to see the headmaster hovering over the controls without a clue on what he was doing. His attention drawn by the sound of the lift, he turned around and his eyes widened in relief at their sight.

"Schala! Thank Hyne you're here!" He started as they neared his position. "The controls aren't responding! I don't know what to do!?!" He added just as the lift descended to pick up the other two.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her answer coming from Xu as she pointed her arm and hand forward.

Following her aim, Schala's eyes widened. _No way…?!_ _Is there anything that isn't going to happen to us today?_ She thought, cursing her luck and that troublesome day.

The hum of the raising lift came to a halt with the arrival of Rian and Zanya that, faced with the tension in the room, followed everyone else's gaze. Rian's jaw dropped as Zanya merely stared in disbelief.

"Ahh, Hell no!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The truck came to a steady halt upon reaching Balamb Town, with Joan all but jumping out of it while some other SeeDs came to meet her.

"Hah, Joan! Glad you see you made it." A tall man with short blond hair and unmade beard called out.

Joan nodded at the recognition of a fellow SeeD, now out of uniform.

"Yes and I have a truck load of junior classmen that need a place to lay low for a while." She told them, moving around the vehicle to allow the children out.

"There's a train leaving in a couple of minutes, but I doubt we can make them all ready in time." The tall man informed, making the usually collected short haired woman to curse under her breath.

The man looked back at her, smiling at the young woman's antics. She was very dedicated and very emotional about her duties and the safety of those encharged to her.

Unaware of the older SeeD's thoughts, Joan opened the doors to let the kids out, reassuring them and checking again if everyone was alright as children after children, they climbed out of the truck.

"You don't need to worry about the kids' safety." He told her, drawing her attention back to him. "We've talked with the locals." He provided when faced with her inquiring expression. "Many of them have kids attending the academy. They've agreed to take them in."

The man had to fight to hide the smile as he saw the SeeD's face lighten. Joan was more than relieved.

"That's good news…" She let out as the kids gathered around her. "Now we'll all be safe." She added, more to the children than anyone else.

"C'mon, let's get you settled in." The male SeeD let out, ushering them to follow.

Joan followed up, guiding the children inside the town limits when she noticed she was one short.

"Eddy, c'mon." She called out to the one boy that stayed behind the line, standing with their back to them and staring off towards the town's outskirts.

"Eddy?" She called out again since the boy didn't answer. He just stood there.

"Something wrong?" The male SeeD asked, his men already leading the children into town.

"Not sure…" Joan let out as she approached the short brunet boy, the taller man walking beside her.

"Eddy!" She called out again as she stood by his side in a few seconds. "What is it?" She asked but the boy still wouldn't budge.

She was about to grab him and shake him up when he finally moved. He didn't moved from his spot, but he did raise his arm. Both SeeDs followed his indication and, like the boy, they could only stand there and stare.

"You gotta be kiddin' me!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We're going to crash into the town of Balamb if we don't do something!" The headmaster pointed out what was more than evident to everyone else in the room.

Balamb Garden moved swiftly through the plains and directly in its path laid the coastal town. The Garden, so far, had crossed the plains and without incidents, however its passage could raze the town to the ground.

"This can't be happening!!!" Zanya crouched down, grabbing her head in shock. Her town, her family, her friends… she saved the Garden but would that destroy her home?

"There has to be something we can do!" Rian let out, staring back at Schala as if asking, begging her to do something.

But what could she do?

"We have to do something, and fast!!" Xu added, unable to tear her eyes from the town and its impending fate.

"Schala, can you think of something?" Cid turned and asked, begging eyes staring straight at hers free from his discarded glasses.

_Me… No!_ She thought, frowning as it seemed, yet again, that everyone was looking at her for answers. Her eyes skimmed the room. Everyone was looking at her, expecting her to do something, something that would save the town.

_How should I know!? Why… why is everyone pressuring me? Why me!? Why can't you do something yourselves!?!?_

"Schala, C'MON!!!"

"Schala!"

"Schala, do something!!"

"We're closing in…"

"DAMN IT!!!" She burst out, making everyone take a step back.

Ignoring their reaction and surprised faces, Schala turned her back to them and towards the console. Without thinking, without really seeing what she was doing, Schala started operating the controls in a stressed and panic fashion.

They were practically over the town when suddenly there was a loud blare and the entire Garden shook.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 

"AAAHHHHHHH!!!!" A shout, echoed by many others filled the streets of Balamb upon the sight of the giant blue structure zeroing on their town.

People were panicking and running aimlessly all in a vain attempt to get out of its path. Then, the unbelievable… even more unbelievable than a moving Garden, happened.

The spinning ring was already hovering over the first houses of the town, its interior shaking like it was coming down, when out of the blue, the massive structure halted its advance. As the ring kept spinning, the giant blue fish turned its head towards the ocean and seconds later it resumed its movement, now completely free of the town.

Some SeeDs, cadets and even locals rushed towards the dock in time to see the massive shape descend from the low cliffs and crash into the ocean. The still spinning ring submerged as did the lower part of the Garden, leaving its base and everything above ground level floating above the water level. The tidal waves caused by the hard entrance died down and crashed against the pier's walls with splatter reaching the observers.

Everyone watched in amazement as the giant blue fish sailed away towards the horizon…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What the Hell was that, ya know?" Raijin let out as he and Fujin stepped into the train bound for Timber.

There had been a strange and loud rumbling and now the whole town was screaming in terror.

"Maybe we should check it out, ya know?" He suggested but the glare in his companion's face blew that thought away instantly.

"SEIFER!" She barked out and he nodded back.

"Right, we go looking for Seifer." He said. "We have to, we're his pose, ya know!?" He added and Fujin's face softened ever so slightly as she nodded.

The two teens then boarded the train just as the whistle blew signalling its departure. They never truly knew the reason for the earlier panic but had they looked out of the window when the train left town, they could have still caught a glimpse on Balamb Garden cruising away over the bright blue ocean…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We're here. Man, what a mess!"

"Looks like the self-destruct system went off. Doesn't look like there's much left."

"Shut your tramp and start digging. We gotta know exactly what happened. Find something… anything!"

The Galbadian battalion that had left Deling had finally reached the ruins of the desert missile base to find it in shambles. The debris from the blast could be found several kilometres away and on the inside of the collapsed walls, little was left.

Armed with shuffles and crowbars, the soldiers split into searching the grounds and exploring the submerged compound. There was usually something as a black box with records that was supposed to be able to survive a nuclear explosion. Of course, that had never been tested before.

"Hey Sarge, I think we have something here!" One of the soldiers called out as he found a half buried heavy armoured blue MRV.

The senior officer approached the soldier's location and looked over his findings.

"That's definitely something." He commented. "Dig it out, perhaps we can still salvage it." He instructed, causing the soldiers to salute in response.

"Yes, SIR!" They replied and went back to work.

Inside the damaged Iron Clad, three figures wearing galbadian military uniforms steered into consciousness…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Yes, I'm ALIIIIIVEEEE!!!!!!!!! Fess up you had your doubts, didn't you? You can tell me._

_So sorry, people… I had the worst couple of months imaginable to man, woman and animal… And the _best_ part… it ain't half-way over yet… Anyway, enough about me and on to the fic._

_Hope you liked it! I took some liberties with this one… there was just so much to add and, well… I trust (hope) there will be no complaints on that XD. I particularly liked the Galbadia Garden inputs… but that's just me ;P_

_Anyway, NEXT on Twisted Fantasy: Balamb Garden is now adrift and with no idea where is headed next…Will the Garden Master and his goons lay low or plan another coup…? Now that G-Garden is mobile, what does the sorceress have in store for the world…? Will the Galbadian soldiers find the SeeDs inside the Iron Clad…? The answer to these and many more on the next instalment of Twisted Fantasy!! Stay tuned XD_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	31. Chapter 31: Underground Vividarium

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII…would I share it if I did?_

**Chapter 31 – ****Underground Vividarium**

Schala remained laying on her bed, starring at the grey and cold but familiar ceiling. It'd been a while since she'd stared up at it. It was strangely comforting.

It had been a rough week. Starting with the SeeD exam, all seemed to have gone astray. Her first mission, the sorceress' encounter and now… now she was lying in her room in a moving Garden adrift at sea. What were the odds of such peculiar events coming to pass in just one chaotic week? Yet some didn't share her astonishment.

She sighed as she remembered the Headmaster's carefree attitude towards their predicament. He almost seemed more concerned with the fact that he had lost his room/office than the fact they had no idea where they were, where they were headed and how to manoeuvre the Garden. She wasn't even sure what made it move less alone if they were ever going to be able to stop it.

There were too many uncertainties assaulting her mind she almost wished there were more monsters running astray throughout Garden so she wouldn't have to think about… well, about anything.

Very few SeeDs and cadets were left inside Balamb Garden, most of them having been successfully evacuated, still the monsters weren't too troublesome to contain. They were done in little over two hours.

Now there was nothing to do. Schala had tried to report to the Headmaster but he dismissed her, practically had to order her to take a rest, telling her they could do that later. At that point she had more questions than answers and though she felt the need to communicate to Headmaster Cid the events of the past few days, there were some things she would rather avoid talking about.

One thing in particular… Seifer…

Seifer had joined the Sorceress. Seifer had tried to kill her. Seifer had tortured her. Seifer had launched an attack against Balamb Garden…

Seifer had betrayed he… them… Would their paths ever cross again? Would they have to fight again, to the death? And if not, if Seifer were to be captured alive… would they execute him as a traitor?

Schala shook her head vigorously. She couldn't think about that… why was she in the first place? It had nothing to do with her, whatever happened to Seifer… absolutely nothing whatsoever…

She sighed heavily, forcing every thought of Seifer to the back of her head, compelling her mind to dwell on other matters. Sadly, she found another topic to occupy her mind she rather had not.

Sorphan, Quentin and Inara… what had become of them, where they safe? They did accomplish their mission after all. Even if they weren't able to stop the launch all together, they had been able to delay it for long enough for the evacuation to clear most of the Garden population and for them to locate and activate the device that without a doubt saved the Garden. Even the missiles, they had been far less than the ones launched at Trabia. So they had to have succeeded. They must have been able to escape. They had to be alright…

She could only hope as the tiredness of the day finally took its toll on the laying woman and she slipped into a restless slumber…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sound of the door knock reverberated throughout the wide chamber, stirring its two only occupants. The slender woman sitting on the only piece of furniture inside, a highly ornamented high back chair, remained silent as the tall blond young man rose and spoke loud enough to be heard across the room and through the heavy closed doors.

"Enter."

A soldier pushed one of the large doors open with some difficulty, regaining his composure as he approached the Sorceress and her Knight.

"Sir!" He started with a salute that went unacknowledged. "We've received word from the team dispatched to the Desert Missile Base."

That seemed to catch his attention, fortunately for the soldier that only stared as Seifer turned to face him, locking his bright sea-green eyes on the uniformed man.

Taking it as a sign, he continued with a new salute.

"Sir! They report the missile base to have been completely destroyed, no survivor accounted for. All the weapons and siege vehicles destroyed except for a damaged armoured tank, model BGH251F2, that appears to be recoverable." He informed with fear of the knight's reaction but he seemed unfazed as if the death of hundreds and the destruction of valuable and expensive military equipment and armoury meant nothing.

"And the launch?" Seifer asked as the man had not given the information he found more pertinent.

"Ahh… Yes, Sir!" The soldier almost jumped, but collected his thoughts and himself quickly. "They have recovered records that indicate that thirteen missiles were launched to Balamb Garden's coordinates." The man stopped immediately as the Knight's face contorted into a heavy frown.

"Just 13? More than twice as much were launched at Trabia!" Seifer's loud voice almost made the man jump again, his irritated tone echoing throughout the chamber.

"Sir…" The man hesitated. "The records refer to some unexplained loss of power before the destruction of the base. It delayed the launch and prevented the appointed number of missiles to be loaded into the launching pads…" Seifer seemed ready to explode and the man had to struggle to be able to continue. "The investigation team suspect there might have been sabotage behind the incident…"

Seifer was fuming for a second before calming down considerably. The soldier stared and did jump back when the Knight suddenly, and instead of striking him down as he expected, let out a loud and deep laugh. The soldier was left wondering if he had lost his mind.

The laughter died down after a couple of moments, Seifer still releasing a chuckle after a sigh. _Leonhart… you've been busy…_

"The missiles were launched, though?" Seifer asked making the man jump again. He could only nod in response.

_Too bad, Leonhart. You couldn't save Garden after all._ Seifer thought with a hesitant smirk as he tried to ignore the ghastly voice in his head that questioned his pleasure in the situation. The Knight's smirk died all together into a scowl as the King's mental one widened. The GF retreated willingly leaving Seifer struggling with the will to put him in his place.

"Sir!?" The soldier called out, fearing, and with good reason, to have been forgotten.

Seifer raised his head to the soldier, a frown inquiring the why he was still there.

"The team is expecting new orders…" The soldier hinted hesitantly.

Seifer had forgotten about them already, still… there's no such thing as too many troops. He froze for two seconds as his sorceress, that didn't seem to be awake less alone paying attention, gave her approval to the orders he was about to convey.

"Have part of the fleet rendezvous and pick them up and the recovered items by the coast." He instructed. "Then they are to meet with us in Dakar harbour town, in the Dollet Dukedom. We'll continue there with the base and the rest of the armada..." He added and the soldier saluted, taking his leave.

_Our mission cannot be delayed. She must be found._ His thoughts reverberated with Edea's unnatural voice in his head.

Sometimes that sound would come so clearly and other times, so distorted…

_**She will not escape me for long… Ellone will be mine!**_ The echo of distant, warped words resonated within both Sorceress and Knight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Single footsteps echoed in the dorms' hall as Rian walked through it, wearing his borrowed white t-shirt and cadet uniform's bottoms. Headmaster Cid had been kind enough to allow him stay in one of the vacant SeeD dorm rooms, and one other SeeD, one they had encountered near the infirmary and was about the same size as him, Nida, had lent him some clean clothes. Good thing too, he had the same set since Timber.

Rian had woken up early despite the last day's strain and not one to sit around in his room all day, he decided to take a little stroll, maybe see what his friends were up too. The Garden was quiet that early in the morning, not another soul in his sight. It seemed like after the previous day's events the rest of Garden's population had decided to sleep in that morning. He wasn't surprised, even after they'd escaped from the missiles and the hassle of the facility's mobility, they still had to handle the monsters the guys in red robes and silly yellow hats had released all over the place. He had wanted to help out, but the headmaster had insisted, yet again, for him to let the Garden personnel handle it.

He was feeling put to the side. All he wanted was to help but they kept treating him like a piece of fine china. He was sick of it.

Rian breathed deeply. There was no point in dwelling on it now.

The hall was once again silent as Rian stopped in front of a door, the only identification being a small number over the doorframe. He lifted his hand to knock on it but hesitated. Could he really be so forward as to bother her so early? Even though they'd spent the best part of the previous week together, he had no idea about her sleeping habits, her daily habits, her nocturnal habits… He didn't know anything about her, he just realised…

His hand slid on the door, his resolve faltering.

_Well, I've learned one thing…_ He reasoned. _She doesn't lock her door._

He smiled, for some reason. Schala seemed to be one to enjoy her privacy yet not locking her door seemed out of character. As his hand had slid down the frame, he instinctively tried the knob to find the door opening in front of him without restraint. He almost felt like he had fit two pieces of a puzzle together but those two didn't fit anywhere else.

He opened the door slowly and thanked Hyne it didn't squeaked. The last thing he wanted was to startle awake a trained combat mercenary. He didn't see her at first, wondering if she could have woken up and left already, instead he focused on her room.

Rian smiled as he found what he half-expected. Walls of a pastel colour, no curtains on the windows, no paintings on the walls. Just a small dresser, with Revolver resting over it; a chair with some cloth items and several books and weapon magazines over it; and a half closed closet against the wall. There was a small door to the side, probably leading to a washroom, and an average, metal framed bed to the corner. And someone was sleeping over it as the sheets seemed to rise and fall according to someone's breathing.

Rian stepped closer, slowly and carefully. He couldn't be sure how she'd react to someone sneaking into her room and watch her as she slept. By Hyne, even if she'd kill him, it'd be worth it. As she slept, her pose changed completely. She barely seemed like the same woman. She was relaxed, at peace. No annoying frown, no cold eyes, just an unparalleled beauty adorned her face.

He stepped closer and inadvertently kicked something over, freezing in his spot as he waited for her reaction. Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes which he didn't remember closing, and released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and looked at her. She hadn't jumped from the bed and impaled him with her blade as he half-expected, instead she stirred and grumbled something inaudible.

Rian could barely hold a chuckle. Her face twisted as if resisting a complaint and he could practically hear her whisper "_Just five more minutes…_" in a drowsy voice. He couldn't help but chuckle then, the sound managing to clear the lethargy as Schala blinked her eyes awake, looking aimlessly around her.

"Hey." The call made her focus on the origin, soon locking her still sleepy blue eyes with marvelled chocolate brown. "You're cute when you're sleeping…" Rian let out, noticing as her eyes began to focus and register his words and the situation.

The frown was back then as she stared hard at him, slightly surprised and confused.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, almost demanded as she sat on her bed, her eyes never leaving his.

His, however, wandered. Not that he ever expected her to be wearing lingerie, still he couldn't stop but stare at the simple oversized t-shirt she was wearing. Though a bit wide, in her sitting position it adjusted to her shape, showing all her curves and leaving her fair thighs quite visible. Rian had to focus, not to be caught checking her out. He was fairly certain she wouldn't react too positively to that. So, he refocused on her face… with her disarrayed hair and inquiring ocean-deep eyes… He finally remembered how to speak.

"The door was unlocked." He simply replied, having composed himself, though still struggling to keep his eyes on her face and off her thighs.

Schala's frown deepened. _That's no reason to take it as an invitation to come in…_She scowled in her mind, not entirely sure of the why she didn't say it out loud. Rian seemed to take the hint not so hidden in her stare, but simply shrugged it away.

She sighed. She was obviously not going anywhere with that and it would not make him leave anytime soon. Schala liked her privacy and that meant she didn't particularly liked uninvited people in her room, not that she invited anyone in either. She couldn't comprehend, though, why she wasn't mad at him for being there…

"What do you want?" She asked, ignoring the confusion in her mind.

"A tour." Rian replied without hesitating.

Truth was Rian just wanted to hang with her, but he couldn't possibly tell her that, so he'd come with that excuse while he was roaming the halls. It wasn't a particularly good excuse, but it could work.

"A tour? You've already been all around Garden yesterday while we were looking for the headmaster." She replied, her tone calm and her expression never changing.

Balamb Garden wasn't THAT big, there wasn't that much more to see that they had already the day before. And he was with them then, he'd already seen it all.

"Granted, but it wasn't in a _tour_ capacity." He continued pushing the matter.

On one side he was right. All they did yesterday was run around the whole of Garden, never stopping at one point for more than a couple of minutes. He didn't see the sights, he didn't know the particularities of the places apart from he could figure out on his own and though that wasn't little, he could always know more. On the other side, he wanted to be near her, get to truly know her… even if she didn't want to share…

Schala stared real hard at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing dangerously but, sadly, he seemed to have grown accustomed to her stare and remained generally unaffected.

"You're not going away, are you?" She wondered out loud, already knowing the answer to her question.

"Nopes." He replied, not even trying to hide the smile on his face, making her sigh once again.

They remained like that for a moment before Schala shoved the sheets away and rose from the bed slowly, making Rian have to truly struggle with himself to keep his eyes from wandering off her face.

She raised her eyes to him again in her usual emotionless expression.

"Fine, just give me five minutes." She said dismissively and headed for the washroom without waiting for a reply.

As he caught her back to him, Rian couldn't help but lower his eyes. He bit his lower lip as he resisted a smile and only after the sound of running water from the faucet inside reached his ears did he realise he was best to leave the room while she got ready. He walked towards the door then, closing it behind him and leaned against it for support.

"Wow…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The train came to a full stop at Dano's train station, a small industrial town west of Dollet in the Hasberry Plains. Many people disembarked, being as it was the last station of the line, most of whom were workers from some southern Dukedom villages coming in for work. That day, however, another group came out of the train, catching some of the attention of the locals. They were young people, mostly young teenagers seemingly accompanied by a few grownups.

Among the casual looking youngsters, a pair particularly stood out. They were a tall and large dark skinned male and a small albino female, who walked side by side utterly ignoring all eyes on them.

Raijin and Fujin separated from the group, heading for the opposite way out of town as the rest of them. They were seeking refuge in the Town of Dollet, but the two of them had different plans. As it happened, they were unable to switch tracks in Timber and head directly towards Galbadian territory, where they were hoping to start their search for Seifer. So, they were forced to ride all the way over to Dollet, planning on catching a boat ride over to Galbadia the moment they got there.

Now, as the SeeDs and cadets moved towards Dollet, Raijin and Fujin arranged for transport to Dakar, a harbour town with daily ferry services between Galbadia and the Dollet Dukedom.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ok, let's get started then." Rian let out enthusiastically as he and Schala exited the corridor from the dorms and into the wide central hall.

Rian remembered the first time he caught a glimpse of the magnificent and dazzling fountains and all around décor of Balamb Garden. He had been stunned then and now, even with the damage suffered from the many battles of the last day and the conspicuous hole in the ground from the rise of the device that inevitably saved the Garden and made it mobile. It was still an amazing sight.

Glimpsing to the side, Rian was not surprised to not see his awed state reflected in the brunette's expression, though he had been quite stunned by her own entrance. Schala wasn't wearing her usual attire, which suited her perfectly he had to add. Instead she wore a longer white top barely covering her bellybutton, a slightly longer black leather skirt, with two cuts over her thighs instead of on the sides and a pair of boots that no longer reached her knees but just her middle legs. Also, she wasn't wearing her usual fur-lined jacket and instead of her usual thumb-less gloves, she had a pair of thick, black leather bracers. Not all was new, though, as her thumb ring shone as brightly as ever on her finger and her usual pendant hanged over her chest, though the chain was slightly different and without the choker.

After all, oil stains don't come out that easily and her clothes were drenched in it from the previous day's explorations. She was bound to have to wear something different, unless all her wardrobe consisted of the same, equal pieces of clothing… Doubtful, highly doubtful.

Shaking his random thoughts aside, Rian focused once again on Schala. She didn't seem too enthusiastic about the tour, so he decided to take the initiative.

"So, where to first?" He asked, receiving a side glance and a shrug as a response.

"You're the one who wants a tour." She added. "What do you want to see first?"

Rian frowned to her lack of interest. This was supposed to be fun, them hanging around together… She wasn't making it easy.

"That's not how a tour works…" He sighed out, Schala turning fully to face him though her face remained un-reactive. "You start from one end and visit all the points of interest while commenting on the specifics and generalities of the place with the occasional curiosity input… You know, a tour!" He added, almost exasperated.

This was not going according to plan.

Schala remained silent for a while, staring back at Rian with an unreadable expression. So much, the young man half expected her to turn around and leave and when she made to move, he feared she'd just blow off the tour and go back to her room. Her footsteps stopped as she turned to see him.

"Aren't you coming?" She wondered.

Rian had failed to notice that, instead of turning back to the dorms, she was heading towards another access corridor, to the cafeteria, if he remembered correctly. Seemed like the tour was on after all.

"Yeah!" He replied, trying to control his own enthusiasm as he jogged towards her and they walked side by side.

Schala walked in silence for as long as it took them to reach the wide cafeteria area. It was just as it was the day before, apart from the lack of rubble that previously littered the hall. Inside it was the same, some people sitting in the tables, eating or just talking, all around relaxing while the lunch ladies worked.

"This is the Cafeteria." Schala stated, almost startling Rian that deep down never expected her to act like a tour guide.

He nodded his understanding though he was unsure if she'd got it since she didn't look back at him.

"This is where people eat." She stated quite obviously, making the young man scowl at her and being utterly ignored.

Still, Rian couldn't help but smile afterwards. Was she actually making a joke?

"There's usually enough food to go around, though there are always some meals that are preferred towards others, like the hot-dogs." She explained, causing Rian to struggle to maintains his composure. She was actually acting like a tour guide, he was stunned.

"If you're careless or late, you'll miss them and have to eat something else." She said, looking back at his. "They're very popular." She added, mistaking his disbelieved expression.

"Ohh, ok. I'll keep that in mind." He covered for his momentarily surprise, trying to focus on the tour.

He had found another few puzzle pieces that went together but once again, he couldn't place them with any of the others.

"Can we eat something? I haven't had breakfast yet." He asked.

"Sure." She replied, moving to the short line that had formed while they were talking.

Not many people were in the cafeteria at that time, contrary to usual. Many were probably still recovering from the previous day's chaotic events and, of course, most had been evacuated.

"Uh-oh." Rian let out lowly. "I don't have any money." He confessed as he turned to her inquiring face.

Schala blinked a couple of times as if she either hadn't heard him or hadn't understood him.

"You don't need money, the food's free." She stated simply.

Rian's eyes widened slightly.

"Really?"

"Yes." Schala confirmed it. "Food, medical care, basic equipment and classes are all free of charge." She continued playing the tour guide part. "Every student is even given a small allowance for additional expenses and SeeDs receive a standard amount depending on their SeeD rank, in addition to special costs on outgoing missions that require so." She explained, Rian's comment interrupted as they reached the front of the line.

"Well, hello Schala." The lunch lady greeted her warmly. "What are you having today?"

She had noticed the previous day that everyone was particularly nice to her. Either it was because she had warned them about the missiles or that she was the main responsible for the Garden's newfound mobility and hence salvation, she didn't know, but that it was a bit disconcerting, it was.

"Just a couple of toasts…" She requested. "Thank you." She had felt the need to add.

People being suddenly nicer to her had made her, to some extent, feel the need to return at least part of the sentiment. So she talked a bit more now and many of the older staff had a smile on their faces after one such encounter. She wasn't too comfortable with that either.

"Here you go, sweetie, enjoy." The lunch lady added as she slipped her a plate with two perfectly golden toasts with just a wisp of butter, just like she liked them.

The pet name, however, was completely unnecessary as Schala simply nodded her thanks and moved away from the line, leaving an annoyingly smirking Rian to ask for his order. She heard him ask for pancakes, adding the "_if it's not too much trouble_" remark and the lunch lady's dismissive reply.

Seeing as Schala was out of earshot, the lunch lady took one good look at the young man awaiting for his breakfast, noting as he didn't even try to disguise it, him looking at her retreating form. She smiled knowingly, placing his order in his tray.

"Here you go, honey." She said, catching his attention.

"Thank you." He politely replied, picking up his food and making to follow after Schala.

"Oh, and good luck!" The lunch lady called out making Rian stop and turn.

"Excuse me?" Rian replied, confused.

The older woman waved her head, signalling the brunette that had stopped a bit out, and just stood there waiting for him to join her. Rian followed her hint and remained with his eyes on her almost forgetting the woman's input.

"She's a good catch," She added, regaining his focus for a moment. She had a knowing and kind smile on her face "… but hard to reel in."

The lunch lady returned to the kitchen, leaving Rian pondering on her words. His stare returned to Schala with those thoughts assaulting his mind even more when she turned, certainly to see what was keeping him. Shaking his head and shoving such wonderings for later analysis, Rian reformed the smile on his face and joined her.

Schala's frown asked what her voice wouldn't but he just shrugged it off, signalling a table up ahead to change the unspoken topic.

"Look, there's Zanya." He mentioned, catching sight of the martial artist in a farther table. "Want to sit with her?" He wondered, so eager was he to evade the thoughts in his mind that he suggested it without thinking.

As Schala shrugged and started walking towards her table Rian followed and, once his mind started working properly again, the image of last day's trip to the cafeteria and the blonde girl's voracious appetite flashed in his mind. He cringed visibly, hesitating to continue but it was too late since Zanya had already spotted them and was signalling them to join her. No escaping now.

"Heya!" Zanya greeted them warmly, waving them in as she continued ravaging her plate.

Rian had to stare for a moment. Was the girl so crazy for hot-dogs she even had them for breakfast? I mean, who does that?

Schala sat with only a greeting nod and Rian followed suit.

"You're up bright and early." Rian commented suddenly also realising her change in attire.

Instead of her usual clothes, Zanya was wearing some blue, low waist sweatpants, a different and grey pair of sneakers and a tight grey top that covered the top of her chest and went around her neck, revealing the lower part of her tribal tattoo.

"You know me!" She replied between large bites, fortunately chewing and swallowing before speaking. "I can't sit still for long. Gonna hit the gym, then maybe make a pass in the Training Centre." She elaborated, resuming the assault on her food.

No wonder she ate so much, she really couldn't stop still. She had to be the person with the highest metabolism on the planet.

"Wasn't the last few days enough of a workout for you?" Rian wondered. That girl couldn't be real.

"Hell no!" Zanya cheered with a smile.

Shaking his head, Rian returned to his food, sparing a side glance to the silent party in the table. Schala hadn't said a word since they'd sat, being occupied with eating her couple of toasts, apparently, since her plate was already empty. She wasn't much into small talk, though that wasn't particularly new to him.

"So…" Zanya started, a sly and mischievous smirk on her face. "Are you two on a date or what?" She asked, something that had been nagging her since she first saw them walking in together.

Now it was public knowledge that Schala preferred to walk, eat, and just about do everything alone so, when she was seen walking around with someone, especially someone of the opposite sex, one had to wonder. And people around Garden wondered a lot. Schala was only ever seen walking around with Instructor Trepe, but rarely anyone thought much of it. Quentin walked around often with any and all his students. It was a teacher thing. Lately, Schala had been seen walking with the recently arrived from Trabia Garden, new SeeD and recently appointed head of the Garden Festival Committee – mostly because no one else wanted the job -, Sorphan. But, once you'd met Sorphan and learnt where they were headed at the time, one would quickly reach the conclusion he was only walking with her to make sure she wouldn't escape and miss the meeting. Because that was just the type of person _he_ was, and that was just the type of person _she_ was.

In this particular case, seeing Schala walk around with, for most of Garden's now reduced population, a stranger with apparently no obligatory reason as the two of them shared a meal, the over imagination of some people took flight. And Zanya was one of those people. She did ever so much enjoy the gossips.

Rian, upon hearing her query almost choke on a piece of his pancakes. His eyes widened and his mouth opened but no sound came out. Luckily, few paid any attention to his effort since Zanya was back at eating for the moment and Schala… Schala was silent and still.

Rian turned to see her. Schala hadn't moved an inch from the other woman's statement. She wasn't frowning, not more than usual at least, she wasn't glaring and she wasn't acting any differently from a second ago. She just sat there, leaning against the back of her chair with her legs and arms crossed not even in a threatening way, just normal. Well, normal for her.

But what did that mean?

"Don't tell me you are? Wow, that's so cool!" Zanya suddenly let out, leaning on the table.

Truth was, she was expecting a similar reaction from Rian's, but Schala had failed to respond. Could it be…? For real?!?

"Obviously…" Schala started, her voice carrying a tone of someone saying exactly that, something so obvious one really shouldn't have the need to say it in the first place.

But there was a pause, and in that second and a half it took her to complete her sentence, Rian's mind boggled. A date, well that was his intention in the first place but the possibility of the girl knowing it also and going along with it meant… it could mean… it could only mean…

"Not." She added simply and with the same expression.

Zanya froze for two point five seconds and then laughed and laughed hard attracting the attention of everyone nearby and far.

"Hah, you got me there!" She cheered. "Good one Schala. Who knew you had a sense of humour?" She added, throwing the last piece of a hotdog into her mouth. "Really good one… Uhh, Rian? Something wrong?" She inquired as she turned to face him.

Rian was white as a sheet, eyes wide and completely disconnected from the world. For a moment there he allowed himself to hope he'd already broke down those ten metres high, ten centimetres thick wall surrounding her, but no. Thinking to himself, something really worth it couldn't be that simply accomplished. And Schala surely wasn't going to make his life any easier.

"Rian, what's…" Zanya started again, or at least Rian could hear her now. "Don't tell me you really thought…" She was about to ask but halted mid sentence.

Rian suddenly sported a deadly glare that could rival with one of Schala's, and it was directed straight at Zanya who had to swallow in dry.

"I'm just showing him around Garden." Schala clarified, though apparently ignoring or unaware of the interaction between the two other occupants of the table, causing Zanya to nod repeatedly in reply while still looking over at the young man.

Schala looked over to Rian who was back to eating his pancakes, turning her head to look back at Zanya, missing the threatening expression completely.

"Right, of course…" The martial artist added and a glint of a glare flashed in chocolate brown eyes, causing her to get up with a jump. "Oh my, look at the time!" She started clumsily. "I gotta run!" She said and all but bolted off the table, almost throwing her cleaned tray over the counter.

_He's spending WAY too much time with Schala…_ She thought as she left with one last glance back at the table where Rian kept eating and Schala kept leaning against her seat waiting for him to finish.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Dakar was a relatively quiet but busy harbour town on the western coast of the Dollet Dukedom territory. The town was responsible for several supplying and re-supplying of travelling ships, along with ferry services leading to Galbadian territory and some fishing activity, though very reduced since it led mostly towards Galbadian territorial waters. All in all, Dakar was a trade town with some industry and lots of people.

The people of Dakar were used to the passage of large ships and convoys through their harbour, still nothing would have prepared them for the sight of that morning.

As the dawn mist settled, a massive sight arose from the seas. A huge, red serpent wrapped around itself, augmented towards the town. The red Garden stopped at a certain distance but the accompanying battleships continued moving forward, setting to dock into town.

On the bow of the leading vessel, a tall blond young man wearing a light-grey long coat stood proud, signalling his men into town the moment the ship docked on the port.

"Check every nook and under every rock." He said aloud as the soldiers mobilized, knocking out any civilians that stood in their way.

"Find Ellone and bring her to me!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"This is the Quad." Schala continued her tour as the pair reached the Quad area after breakfast.

"This place is more of a leisure area for SeeDs and cadets. There are the outer grounds, which were much bigger before we started moving, and where some activities can be held like battle lessons for junior classmen as well as the Garden Festival."

Schala was being true to her word and was giving Rian a full and detailed tour. After recovering from his initial shock and the events on the cafeteria, Rian decided to enjoy the most of, not only the tour but of the girl's company. There had been a sudden release in Schala's usually closed personality and Rian was enjoying every second of it. Of course, he couldn't often contain a smile at her seriousness while relaying the information. It just seemed weird.

"This…" Schala continued, signalling the closed building Rian remembered perfectly, "… is the ballroom, usually used for more formal social events…"

"Like the ball where we first met." Rian interjected, his mind replaying the one dance they'd shared that night.

It had been the most fantastic night, clear starry sky, like one never sees in Deling and rarely witnesses in Timber. There was good music playing, one in particular that reminded him of the happy old times in which he'd hear his father playing the piano. A most wonderful and beautiful dancing partner…

Rian's stare left that night to focus on the aforementioned dancing partner. Schala seemed pensive for a while, as if also recalling that night.

"Yes, like the SeeD Inauguration Ball." She commented as she resumed her stride down the stairs and Rian smiled.

As much as she'd tried to conceal it through her emotionless voice and expression and how she turned away quickly, Rian still caught a glimpse of a glint in her eyes, most likely from some particular memory of that night. Still smiling, Rian followed after her down the outer staircase.

"Woah!" Rian let out as they arrived to the bottom of the stairs and came face to face with what seemed like a trashed stage set.

The frames and platform of the stage had toppled over and all the lighting, lamps and such, as well as instruments and other gear were spread all over the place in disarray and all around, total mess.

"What happened here? This wasn't like this the other day." He mentioned as he vividly recalled that, despite not being in exact pristine condition, it was not nearly as bad as what he now saw.

"This was the stage for the Garden Festival, set to be had in a few weeks…" Schala informed, her too slightly surprised.

She hadn't been there, there being the afternoon part of the Garden Festival Committee meeting held on the day preceding her departure for Timber and all the events that followed. So, she hadn't participated on the building and organization of the stage area, task set for that time in which she evaded any and everyone remotely connected with the Committee by hiding in the Training Centre all afternoon, and hadn't passed by the Quad before setting off.

On the previous day, as they searched for the headmaster, she hadn't had the time or disposition to evaluate or admire their work, it also being half turned into an improvised bunker, and now she couldn't comment on it.

"It must have been tossed aside when the Garden started moving." Schala reasoned.

"Yeah, it really was…" A male cadet, who was sitting on the edge of the stage, sighed out. "All that hard work, ruined… Sorphan is gonna be so disappointed…"

Schala and Rian turned to face the young man. Neither of them had even detected his presence till he spoke.

Rian blinked a couple of times. Having recovered from the fact he didn't even notice the man, some of his words nagged at the back of his head.

"Sorphan is…?" It was the first time Rian had thought of them and hearing his name brought all sort of feelings and memories.

Ever since their rushed departure from Galbadian territory that he hadn't thought of Sorphan, Quentin and Inara and despite the worry for their fates overcame him, the student's words still made him ponder. Why would Sorphan be disappointed?

"Sorphan is the president of the Garden Festival Committee." Schala provided after a pause in which her companions' fate also dawned on her. "Even though he's new in Balamb Garden, he was appointed president straight off."

One of the matters addressed in the meeting was the surprise nomination of Sorphan as head of the Committee. Not only had the tall brunet enrolled more members in the one day he'd been part of the group, herself included, his enthusiasm and dedication was second to none. It hadn't been a hard sell.

"Ahhh…." Rian wondered then chuckled. "I can totally see that." He added with a smile.

Schala just nodded understandably and then turned to walk away since she had nothing else to add to that part of the Garden. With a wave at the young man, that remained sitting at the edge of the stage and paid no great attention to their presence let alone their departure, Rian followed after Schala, a new something nagging him.

"How do you know all of this?" Rian asked.

The brunette gunblader didn't seem very sociable, hell… she wasn't sociable at all, so knowing about these things was kinda odd.

Schala paused for a bit, not answering right away as they crossed the main hall, heading towards the infirmary corridor.

"I'm part of the Committee." Schala said simply while keeping her pace. "This is the infirmary." She continued, entering the hall. "The doctor whom you met yesterday is Doctor Margaret Kadowaki. She's a great doctor responsible for the well care of everyone in Balamb Garden and she's always there to hear your troubles or offer advice as needed."

Schala stopped talking and stopped walking. She turned to face Rian whose presence she no longer felt by her side. Fact, he had stopped by the entrance of the hall and just stood there frozen in place. The behaviour confused her and she frowned, tilting her head.

"Something wrong?" She inquired but the young man remained unresponsive.

Schala, a part of the Garden Festival Committee, a group whose sole purpose, as far as Rian was aware, was to organise and promote social activities and gatherings… No, not possible. Unreal…Surreal… NO WAY!!!

"Rian?" Schala's voice was but a whisper in the back of Rian's mind.

If Rian was eating something, he'd surely choke to death…

"Rian." Schala called out again, closer and louder and Rian heard her clearer this time, but he still couldn't react.

The denial was too great to even consider the possibility…

"Rian!"

This time he had to hear her had she not practically yell it in his ear. Rian jumped back, startled but definitely brought back from his catatonic state.

"Huh? What…? Yes?!" He all but babbled, trying to compose himself.

"Are you ok?" She asked after a pause in which she wondered it he was truly alright.

It wasn't like him to space out like that. He could have been hurt but he hadn't been in any serious battle lately. He barely even participated in the ones within Garden. Could it still be some residual shock or trauma from the previous days? Of facing the Sorceress or being imprisoned… of being tortured and beaten up by Seifer…?

_Seifer…_ She couldn't help but think about it… What could be happening inside his head for him to act like that? How could he…?

"I'm fine." Rian's reply cut Schala's stray thoughts as she refocused on the raven haired young man.

She almost forgot all of the last moments' events but as Rian flashed her his usual handsome smile, it all came back to her and her last thoughts faded back to the back of her head.

"So… the infirmary, right?" Rian started, having recovered the ability to think. "What's the doctor's name again?" He asked to diffuse the moment.

Knowing Schala was part of a social group was still shocking, but now he trusted he could think around it.

"Margaret Kadowaki, but we just call her Doctor Kadowaki." Schala explained as they resumed their walk side by side through the hall.

"I'd enjoy seeing her again. She is one tough woman." Rian commented, perhaps not fully aware he'd said it out loud.

Schala nodded in agreement. The Doc had easily the toughest spirit of all inside Garden and beyond. Nothing could throw that woman down.

The gunblader knocked on the last door of the hall, opening it without waiting for a reply. It lead to the main infirmary room, the doctor's office and room where the most serious cases were taken care of under the wing of the doctor herself. There were a couple more wards in the hall, but they were usually handled by her aids and trainees. If you wanted to find the doc, that room was the safest bet.

When they both got inside, the large woman raised her head from the pile of papers in her desk to see who had come in and if they were in need of her assistance.

"Ah, Schala. How are you feeling this morning?" She asked politely as her eyes expertly scanned the woman for any visible injuries.

Schala's nod of a reply told her lots, had she not known the young woman for almost ten years now. Schala's eyes scanned the room as the doctor scanned her. There weren't many injuries, mostly minor ones from either the civil war within Garden, between Garden Master and Headmaster or of when the Garden started moving. Surprisingly enough, there weren't many casualties when that happened, but that was probably due to the fact Balamb Garden's general population was reduce to a fifth of normal after the evacuation procedures.

"I see. Good." The doc commented as her eyes shifted to the girl's companion. "And who's your friend? One doesn't often see you accompanied… especially by such a handsome young man." She added, causing Rian to smile awkwardly.

"I'm Rian." Rian introduced himself and offered the older woman a handshake she promptly accepted.

The doctor smiled towards the, obviously non military young man. She had been around soldiers long enough to be able to spot them at a distance and though he was clearly not weak or useless, it was obvious in her eyes he was not a SeeD nor had he received any specialized training. Which was all rather intriguing considering he was walking around Schala, unless…

"You her boyfriend?" The doc cut right through the bullshit, making Rian almost choke in a breath of air.

"Well, I…" He started, glimpsing at Schala who simply stared back with her intense blue eyes.

"We, hummm…." Rian didn't know what to say, for a moment he was lost in a deep dark blue ocean without a life raft in sight.

Maggie just watched their silent exchange. Seemed like there was some competition for the young lady's affections. Of course the other intended party wasn't around to defend his interest. She smiled, remembering her usual exchange with the rash blond young man. They were certainly different, but who could tell which one was more intense.

"No." Schala cut the charade while diverting her eyes from mesmerized chocolate brown.

She too often found something alluring in the different type of intensity those dark eyes held towards her.

"I'm just showing him around." She elaborated after a moments' pause in which Rian also looked away for a bit before refocusing on the doctor.

"I see…" The doc let out enigmatically with a knowing and unrevealing smile.

That was quite the love triangle.

"You two would be cute together, though." She added lowly while turning back to her table. "Ahh!"

Her low cry made both teens' attention totally focus on her as she rounded her desk and sat behind it.

"Do you guys know where Headmaster Cid is?" She asked them and as if on queue, both shook their heads in unison.

The older woman sighed heavily with a disapproving expression on her face.

"That guy works too hard." She let out just barely above a whisper. "Can you tell him to come see me when you see him? Thank you." She added, obviously meant as a dismissal.

Both teens shared a look and taking the hint, said/nodded their goodbyes and left the infirmary to continue their tour, leaving the doctor with her thoughts.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright, bring it up! Steady!" someone shouted up from on top of the docked Battleship on Gearspoint Harbour, west of Deling City.

The GENS (Galbadian Empire Navy Ship) Mars was just one battleship amongst the Galbadian Armada and, being large enough, it was the designated to transport the men and machinery recovered from the missile base wreckage. There wasn't much left except for the Iron Clad that was being, now, lowered into the lower decks of the ship, the men and remaining gear having already been shipped.

"Well, what do we have here?" A military engineer wondered aloud as he entered the storage hold. "Man, what a mess!" He exclaimed.

The Iron Clad, once the pride and joy of manned armoured tanks in the Galbadian military. Like many other combat vehicle, the Shinra made tank was made to withstand a lot of punishment, so that would explain the engineer's initial admiration for the deplorable state it was now in.

Three of the six chargers on top of the MRV had been blown to pieces and the armour was extensively dented. Sure, he'd been told that it had survived a nuclear explosion when the missile base's self-destruct went off, but that still didn't account for part of the damage.

_Must have been quite a fight…_ The man wondered inwardly, passing his fingers over some clear weapon marks on the plating.

"Can it be salvaged?" The commander of the battleship inquired without even a greeting, making most personnel on the hold to stand in attention. "Or should I just throw it overboard."

"We'll see…" The engineer provided, searching for something on the side of the tank. "Here we go. Let's open this baby up and see the damage." He added and, having pressed some keys in a panel, the side door opened with a loud creak.

"Ohhh, my…" He let out as he entered.

Inside lights were flickering, panels and consoles were completely short-circuited or smashed beyond recognition or repair. Some devices still spun into activity when activated. All in all, one huge mess. On the floor there were debris and leftover consoles but it was otherwise, empty.

"Well?" The commander insisted. If that thing was completely out of commission and was utterly useless, he wanted it off his ship.

"Well…" The engineer started, pausing for a long while and restarting just when the commander was about to add something. "I think we can still make it work to some capacity."

"Hmph…" The commander grumbled, turning to leave. "Get it done!" He ordered receiving some grumbles in response as the engineer was now focused on his newfound project.

He started ordering soldiers and other workers around, asking for tools and equipment and the men immediately complied.

On a dark corner of the cargo hold, no one noticed the presence of three individuals in galbadian military uniforms, moving furtively and trying their best not to attract attention to themselves as they observed the soldiers' movements.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Wow! This is so cool!" Rian let out as the touring party of two entered the library grounds.

As libraries went, Balamb Garden's wasn't too shabby. It had a vast collection of literary work though the largest section was of military strategy and weapons manuals.

Schala merely nodded to his enthusiasm. The library was one of the quietest places in Garden, even when full of people reading. At that moment it wasn't particularly full, also due to the reduced Garden population situation, but still Schala could detect some familiar people in the counter or around the shelves.

"Mind if I look around for a bit?" Rian asked and Schala nodded again in reply.

Immediately, Rian darted off towards the shelves while Schala remained leaning against the counter, resting in silence for a bit. A library was pretty much self-explanatory, even if they didn't pass by it the previous day, so there wasn't much she could add. Besides, Rian seemed to like it.

Schala just breathed deep and closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the silence solely interrupted by the pony-tailed library attendant assisting some other cadet.

Meanwhile, Rian scanned every shelf and every book, smiling occasionally as he passed his eyes by a book he'd read before and liked. It wasn't very surprising for Garden to have a library, it was an academy after all. It didn't just teach how to fight, it had to educate its students in many other areas and a library was an absolute must in any teaching establishment.

As he moved around from section to section, absentmindedly picking up a book here and there, he suddenly found himself in the reading room. It was relatively wide but only a couple of people were using the desks. His attention was drawn to a book of a familiar cover on top of one of the desks in which a young woman sat. He hadn't seen the woman before and at first glance she didn't seem to fit in with the cadets and SeeDs he'd seen so far. She had short brown hair, just above shoulder length, and wore a blue shirt over an ankle length white skirt, a light green shawl over her shoulders and orange sneakers.

_Maybe she's a teacher for the younger ones…_ He reasoned as his attention refocused on the book. It wasn't exactly a children's book but he remembered his father reading it to him when he was younger. Without realising it, he approached the desk and the book, getting the woman's attention.

"You can take it if you want. I've already finished it." She said in a soft and gentle voice, smiling up at Rian as he looked her way.

"Thank you." Rian replied with a smile as he looked her in the eyes.

There was something familiar in the clear brown eyes' intensity that he couldn't quite place but dismissed almost immediately.

"You're welcome." The girl said nodding and returning her gaze to her book as Rian walked away without a second thought, his attention now fully focused on the book he was carrying and on the girl patiently awaiting for him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Schala." Rian said as he entered the other section, perhaps a little bit louder than he should have inside a library but it was enough for the woman in the reading room to stop reading.

The brunette woman rose from her chair and walked over the frame of the entrance of the room, gazing into the main section of the library. Her eyes sparkled as she saw the young man approach the blue eyed brunette. She was the same as ever and, despite all that had happened, she was alive and safe.

"Schala…" She whispered far too low to be heard by anyone but her as she kept silently observing the teenagers' exchange.

.

"Hey." Rian greeted as he stepped next to her, book in hand and smiled at the reply nod she offered.

"Ready to go?" She asked, her eyes shifting momentarily to the item he carried.

"Sure, I'd just like to take this book I found. Haven't read it in ages." Rian said looking at the book and focusing on her. "You think I can take it?"

"Sure." Schala shrugged. "Just register it at the counter." She informed, signalling the cadet with the pony tail.

"Can I do that?" Rian wondered suddenly. "I'm not a student here…"

Schala pondered for a bit. True, one had to leave some sort of reference if they wanted to lift a book, and Rian not being from Garden would probably not be able to provide one suitable.

Rian's turn reached on the counter and as the assistant was about to ask for a reference, Schala was by his side.

"Just put it on my tab." She told the cadet and he nodded with a suggestive smile as he inputted the data in the computer.

"All set." He said, handing the book back to Rian. "Enjoy your reading." He added and Schala turned to walk away.

Rian picked up the book and followed after her.

"Thanks, that was very kind of you." He commented, trying his best not to sound too surprised.

Schala just shrugged as she never slowed her pace, turning towards another section of the Garden, this one with a green colour.

That reaction came as no surprise though, as Rian had already realised that's how she generally handled compliments: Awkwardly. He smiled as he looked back at his book. A few more Schala puzzle pieces just pieced themselves together and now the picture was shaping up. Thought there were a lot of things he still didn't understand and know about her, he felt she was letting on quite a few that day.

He absentmindedly kept walking beside her and barely realised she'd stop when he almost walked into a closed door.

"This is the Training Centre..." Schala started again, having approached a consol on the side and not seeing or ignoring as Rian almost walked into the blast doors, "or as we call it, the monsters' lair."

Schala pressed some buttons on the consol and the doors opened with Rian having to step back a bit. It was just like he remembered from the previous day. It looked like an exotic forest, with exotic plant life and a humid and warm environment. All in all, weather typical of the island of Balamb.

"The monsters are left to run loose inside this area so that students can get a feel for actual combat." Schala continued her explanation. "It holds mostly small monsters, Grats and Raldos, but there are the occasional troublesome beast like Grendels, Bombs and Granaldos. The T-Rexaurs are by far the most dangerous. They have a particular area where they dwell and it's advised to younger students to avoid it."

Rian nodded understandably. He saw it first hand how the two strongest fighters he'd ever seen had their share of difficulties facing off the pre-historic beast.

"This is a secure area, with electric fences that prevent the larger and thus more dangerous creatures to enter." Schala signalled the surrounding fences. "It's also used as secondary training grounds for young students, in the mastery of their weapons since only Grats are able to pass. Only from the age of 14 are you allowed an entry pass and can cross those side doors without supervision."

Schala paused for a bit, looking back at Rian. It was obvious in his stance he wasn't a SeeD. She remembered the first time she had come there, the first time she passed through those doors. She remembered the anxiety and anticipation she felt with the perspective of a monster fight. She still felt a tinge of that feeling every time she came there to unwind. Rian didn't show that.

"There's no supervision inside?" Rian wondered, frowning at the idea of a 14 year old coming face to face with a T-Rexaur. There could be no happy ending there.

Schala shook her head.

"The monsters here are real and the danger is as well." She said. "If you're going in there you must be prepared to fend for yourself or run for your life if needed." She explained.

That was something Rian had yet to become used to. SeeDs talked about life and death like normal people talked about the weather.

"Want to check it out?" She wondered.

The doors had been sealed after the monster incursion brought by the Faculty Members' sabotage. Though the monsters running loose on Garden had been either killed or contained back inside, it was still ordered that the doors remained closed to give them time to scatter and calm down inside. Almost a day afterwards, it seemed safe enough.

Rian looked back at Schala through half closed eyes. Hmm… go inside a potentially dangerous area with more than likely monster encounters… He couldn't imagine _a better _way to spend his time… or life.

"You know, I can imagine this being one of your favourite places in here…" He commented as her eyes confirmed it.

No matter how much he liked her, he'd rather avoid life and death situation if he could help it.

"But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass on that offer." He confessed, searching her reaction for… well, a reaction for one.

He feared he'd find disappointment in her eyes, since her expression rarely revealed anything. She already knew he wasn't the fighter type, but would that mean she couldn't consider him?

However his fears were unfounded as she merely shrugged, pressed some buttons to close the blast doors and motioned to continue with the tour. There was no disappointment or surprise in her eyes. There actually was comprehension and understanding. She accepted he wasn't too eager to jump into a fight if he didn't have to. She also avoided doing so, unless she really needed to blow some steam or train.

With renewed hope and enthusiasm, Rian picked up his pace to walk side by side Schala as they exited the Training Centre area and back into the great hall. Turning right twice again on the circular middle area of Garden, they entered the last part of the ground level.

"This is the Parking Lot." She informed on the obvious. "Nothing special about it. It's just a parking lot." She said and for a moment said nothing as if there weren't much more to add.

Rian stared at her with a blank expression. Was that to be the grand ending of their tour?

Schala shrugged and as if hearing his thoughts, she searched her mind for any additional information.

"There are usually many ground vehicles here, but the group vehicles have been used in the standard evacuation procedures." She relayed, signalling that only single type vehicles, mostly two wheeled ones, were present.

"Otherwise, they are here for use in transport or a particular mission that require so." She concluded, now finding nothing more to add.

That was a little better, though, and Rian couldn't help but smile. She was really trying hard to make a good and informed tour. It seemed that, whatever she set out to do, no matter how trite, she worked to make it thorough and right. She was professional to a fault, making Rian fear slightly that she looked at their little walk as work related.

He didn't want that… He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, relaxed and just be herself. Of course he had to consider that she was just being herself and that was just the way she was, but still there had to be more. A smile for no reason, some tenderness and passion. He wanted to know the Schala hidden within, but as usual, she wasn't making it easy on him…

"That's it." Schala let out as they returned to the entrance of the dorms' corridor and beginning of their tour, which undoubtedly marked the end of the same.

Rian nodded though slightly disappointed that the excuse he'd used to spend some time with the brunette had ended so soon. It was barely lunch time…

"It's lunch time." He suddenly realised. "Want to have lunch with me? I'm buying." He added with a joking smile.

Schala made to reply, certainly to remind him that no money was needed to eat in the cafeteria, obviously having missing the joke. However she never got the chance as she noticed the approach of a Faculty Member that seemed to be heading towards them.

She narrowed her eyes. Cid had allowed for the Faculty members to remain within Garden, one, because he couldn't very well throw them overboard into the great blue ocean, though Zanya looked rather eager to do so, and two, they promised they wouldn't cause anymore confusion. They had even helped contain the monsters loose by their own doing.

"Student ID No. 41269, Schala Leonhart?" He inquired, stopping just centimetres away from the two teens and apparently ignoring Rian all together.

"Yes." Schala replied, her frown ever so present.

"The Garden Master wishes to see you." He informed, only making her frown deepen. "Report to the Master's Room right away." He added.

"Master's Room?" She wondered out loud. She knew of no division within the Garden with that designation.

"Yes. Take the elevator to level B1." He continued. "You have permission." He concluded and turned away without giving any of them time to comment.

_The Garden Master wants to see me? _Schala wondered as the faculty member scurried away. _What's that all about?_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Sir, we are in control of Dakar!" A soldier saluted as Seifer disembarked the transport from G-Garden that remained just off the coast.

The blond Knight smiled in satisfaction reflected off his mistress. The town was completely overrun by galbadian soldiers in the service of Sorceress Edea. All the people were either being forced into one location or being restrained in their homes. If Ellone was in Dakar, they'd find her and even if she wasn't… there would be one less place for her to hide.

"Good work." Seifer commented making the soldiers stand straighter with the praise. "Carry on!" He added and all soldiers scattered to continue the search.

Seifer stayed by the docks, organizing the parties and receiving reports. He was the big-hot there, everyone answered to him and every matter of interest was brought to his attention. He liked that.

While the g-soldiers scavenged the town, two peculiar people passed the outer perimeter. The tall and large, dark skinned man and the petite albino woman entered the location without knowing the events there taking place, nor the familiar face they were to reencounter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala walked through the halls heading for the main elevator. It had taken her a full five minutes to manage to convince Rian to not accompany her on her audience with the so called Garden Master. As she explained over and over, this was a SeeD only matter and he wasn't one. Besides, it was probably just to report to this mysterious entity since all quarrels between Headmaster and Garden Master had ceased the moment Balamb Garden had avoided the missiles by starting to move. The remaining, conscious, faculty members had even helped contain the monsters they had originally been responsible for unleashing. Yes, because the turmoil of the missile impact and the moving Garden had rendered the monsters completely berserk and unresponsive to their commands.

Though she still had no idea who the Garden Master was or what was his influence or importance in the Garden structure, she couldn't let pass a perfectly good opportunity to find out. Of course she wasn't all thrusting. After Rian left for his dorm she had passed by her own and picked up her gunblade. "_Better safe than sorry"_ was ever a good policy.

"Hey! So they got to you too?" The, somewhat, calling made her turn to notice a quickly approaching Zanya. Seemed she had just come out from her training run.

Schala frowned inquisitively in her direction but the martial artist didn't reply till she was next to her, breathing freely as she not just sprinted there.

"Those goons called you out to meet that Garden Master character too, right?" She wondered receiving an affirmative nod for a reply. "Thought so. What does that guy want from us anyway?" Zanya wondered, more to herself than to the other woman.

Schala shrugged as both resumed their pace towards the lifts. There was the strong possibility this Garden Master just wanted a report, calling the squad leader and Zanya to confirm it. On the other hand, Schala couldn't shake this uncomfortable feeling something else was going on.

A _not so good_ something else.

They got to the elevators and Zanya pushed the call button almost immediately. She was also oddly quiet, so much Schala wondered if she was thinking of the same thing.

"Be ready and alert." Schala mentioned as the doors opened and she entered, Zanya staying out and looking straight at her. "We don't know what we're going to face down there." She added and Zanya stepped next to her with a nod.

The doors closed almost immediately and the elevator descended towards the B1 underground level and chamber of the Garden Master.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"FushifuruFushifuru… EXPLAIN-YOURSELF-CID!!" NORG's loud and distorted voice echoed in the underground chamber.

The faculty members scurried away as Cid remained standing in front of a large pod that occupied the centre of the room. Inside, a large yellow skinned being, clearly not human, with huge yellow hands and a pristine ceremonious robe sat visibly in a rage. Cid himself could barely keep his tone in check as he responded.

"I created SeeD with a purpose. I was just following up on their true objective…" He tried to explain, but was interrupted.

"Bujurururu!YOU-FORGET, Seed-WOULD-NOT-EXIST-IF-NOT-FOR-MY-CONTRIBUTION." The yellow being shouted out. "ALL-MATTERS-MUST-COME-THROUGH-ME-FIRST!!! AND-I-DID-NOT-APROVE-OF-THESE-ACTIONS!" He added angrily, making the pod tremble as he slammed his large fist.

Cid was using all of his restraint not to yell back.

"THIS is why I wanted SeeD in the first place, I told you that then." Cid said, barely controlling his tone. "You cannot interfere with SeeD's true purpose and you cannot…"

"I-CANNOT?!? I-CANNOT!?!?!?!?" The faculty members all but disappeared from sight. "I-CAN-DO-WHAT-I-WANT-AND-THIS-FOOLISH-ENTERPRISE-OF-YOURS-WILL-NOT-BE-MADE-WITH-MY-MONEY." He shouted making even Cid to step back.

"Fushurururu... THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN, I-SAY-WHAT-IS-DONE!"

"Your Garden? YOUR GARDEN??" That made Cid's courage come back with a vengeance.

NORG had crossed the line.

"This Garden, this institution belongs to every cadet and every SeeD that has trained and lived here. You have no right…"

"I-HAVE-EVERY-RIGHT!!" His voice reverberated through the room. "YOU-MAY-HAVE-THOUGHT-OF-SeeD-BUT-I-CREATED-THEM, I-CAN-DESTROY-THEM."

The threat did not go unnoticed as all colour left the headmaster's face.

"No, you can't…" He tried but the Garden Master would have none of it.

"Bujurururu! I-CAN-DO-WHAT-I-PLEASE!!!" He shouted out. "GET-HIM-OUT-OF-MY-SIGHT!!" He commanded and the pod closed as the faculty members came out of hiding and started to drag the headmaster away.

At that time, the lift reached the underground level and opened with the ping. Schala and Zanya got out and hadn't given two steps when the Headmaster's exasperated voice reached them.

"Please! Listen to me!" He shouted out, coming into their line of sight as the faculty members continued to drag him out.

"The hell?" Zanya let out, hesitating if she should interfere.

_...The headmaster's here?_ Schala thought, wondering of the implications of what she was seeing.

"Let go of me! I'm not finished!" He said, shoving the faculties' arms away.

The robed figures let him go, but remained in front of him wouldn't he decide to advance again. And he probably would if they weren't there.

"You greedy son-of-a-bitch!" He shouted and cursed, making the two SeeDs freeze in their spots.

They had never seen the headmaster act like that before.

"Why do I ever bother talking to you?!" He paused for a second before stepping up again. "SeeDs were brought up for the future! And that future is now!" He shouted again, now trying to move past the faculty members blocking his path.

"Why can't you understand?!" He yelled out, the robed man pushing him back causing the headmaster to tumble on to the ground.

The man then noticed the two young women behind the headmaster, mostly because both made to move if he'd give another step towards the older man. The faculties stopped but remained blocking the passage.

"Dammit!" Cid cursed loudly, struggling to stand. "I should've never trusted you! I wish I could go back ten or so years." He almost whispered too low for them to hear.

"To tell myself that you're nothing but a money grubbing son-of-a-bitch!" His tone grew gradually till he all but yelled back the last words.

"Then I would've never built this place." He turned, defeated, with his head down and words spoken barely above a whisper.

He was startled then as he saw the two SeeDs staring back at him, Schala's eyes uncharacteristically widened. She had only caught part of his, also uncharacteristic speech and seeing him so altered, it was beyond disturbing.

"Schala!? Zanya!?" He let out as he registered the situation, composing himself and closing his eyes for a momentary pause.

"...You heard everything?" Cid asked, head raised and tired blue eyes looking back at hers.

Schala didn't answer right away and Zanya was just as lost for words as she was, deciding to let the brunette take the lead on that one.

"...Yes." She admitted, with Zanya nodding in the background.

Cid lowered his head again as Schala observed him. She had many questions, lately she always seemed to have questions whose answers constantly evaded her. She was about to act on her queries when the headmaster started again.

"I see…" He sighed out. "Well, this is embarrassing. You seeing me like this." He let out. "But sometimes even old men like me lose their temper."

He breathed in, finally fully composing himself as he walked by the two teens.

"I gotta get out of here." He let out as he approached the elevator.

Schala and Zanya could only see him walk away when Schala reacted.

"Sir…!" She started, but he cut her off.

"Not now." He asked more than ordered. "Please come by my office later." He added and entered the elevator, the glass doors closing behind him and the lift rose to the higher levels.

Zanya stared back at Schala. Her ever so present frown was deeper than ever. The headmaster seemed so put down, it seemed like he had aged another twenty years after speaking with the mysterious Garden Master character.

Who could he possibly be to have such influence towards the usually cheerful and positive headmaster? And that story about Garden never being built without him, what was that all about?

The answers to those questions and more laid on the other side of the massive pod occupying the centre of the room. Schala stepped forward with Zanya close behind as they approached the faculty members standing guard.

"You're the SeeDs who returned from Galbadia, correct?" One of the robed figures inquired to which Schala just nodded affirmatively, the frown never leaving her features.

If she had a bad feeling before, now it was off the charts.

"You're late!" The other one spat out, moving to the side. "Master NORG has been waiting for you." He added with an edge on his words that only made her frown deepen dangerously.

The man stepped back and ushered them to follow.

"Come." He said as he walked with the two teens behind him. "Whenever Master NORG calls you, be sure to be there within 3 seconds." He emphasized in his hurried pace that only hastened as a deep and distorted voice echoed around them.

"Fushururu... 3-SECONDS-ARE-UP."

The sound had a certain electronic tinge to it and as the teens turned towards the origin, they were presented with the massive central pod opening wide and revealing its equally large occupant.

_This is the Garden Master? The mysterious proprietor of Garden?_ Schala pondered as her sight was filled with the vision of Norg. Whatever he was… _He's not human._

Glancing to the side, Schala could see her surprise and immense shock reflected in the martial artist's expression. No matter what they were expecting to find, if in fact they were expecting anything, nothing could have prepared them for such a sight.

"FushifuruFushifuru..." The sound that could only come from the pod's resident made the faculty members tense visibly, even underneath the full body robes and ridiculously large hats. "GIVE-YOUR-REPORT-ON-THE-SORCERESS." The creature demanded

For a moment, Schala hesitated, unsure where exactly she should begin. When did their involvement with the sorceress begin? In Timber's TV Station? With Quentin's mission? With Deling's failed…

"Answer him quickly." One of the faculty members advised, whispering it her way. "Be concise."

Schala nodded and saluted out of regulation. She wasn't sure exactly what and how great a power the strange creature held within Garden, but it was certainly not little. Beside her, Zanya could only mimic her movements.

"...We failed to assassinate Sorceress Edea." _Well, ain't that a good start…_ Schala winced slightly, but continued nonetheless.

"Confirmation of Headmaster Cid's order was made at Galbadia Garden." She started as respectfully and formally as possible, trying not to let anything out.

"After Inara Kinneas of Galbadia Garden joined our party...We set off to carry out the _Sorceress Assassination_ order from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens..."

"Bujurururu!" The shout made the faculties visibly wince. "BALAMB-AND-GALBADIA'S ORDERS!?Bujurururu! YOU-WERE-FOOLED!"

_What!?_ Schala thought, confused. _Fooled!? How…?_ She kept wondering.

"I don't understand." She let out, Zanya by her side equally confused with her eyes darting from one to the other as if she was watching a tennis match.

"Fushurururu...YOU, EXPLAIN-TO-THEM." He ordered a nearby Faculty who hadn't escaped yet.

"Master NORG has known about the alliance between the President of Galbadia and the sorceress for a while now." The chosen Faculty member informed, his voice emotionless but a tinge of fear, most likely for the Garden Master himself. "We have a highly advanced information gathering network set for all matters concerning the Sorceress. This information was confirmed by the Galbadia Garden master." He added.

"The Galbadia Garden master…" Schala wondered. Did the other Garden have one of… _these_ things there too?

"Fushururu..." NORG's voice felt itself hear again, making his subordinate wince again. "THE-MASTER-OF-GALBADIA-GARDEN-IS-UNDER-MY-AUTHORITY! THE-WOMAN-NAMED-MARTINE." He shouted out.

"Yes. In fact the sorceress and Garden are closely connected." The faculty continued. "That is why, when the news first came to us a few months back, Master NORG acted accordingly."

_Months!?_ Schala's eyes widened. _They have known this for months, yet…_ Her thoughts were interrupted as the robed figure kept his explanation.

"Master NORG sent explicit orders to Galbadia Garden NOT to interfere with any and all matters concerning the Sorceress, for fear of attracting her attention towards us and to prevent the sorceress from trying to gain hold of all Gardens." He continued under the increasing surprise of the teens.

They had been ordered not to interfere, not to assassinate the sorceress?

"For a while, Headmistress and Garden Master Martine seemed to comply, even before that she always seemed loyal. But then she started believing in Headmaster Cid's ideals and then…" The faculty tried to continue, but his master's loud voice interrupted him…

"Bujurururu!" The shout echoed louder than ever. "THAT-SLY-WEASEL-MARTINE-DISOBEYED-MY-ORDERS-AND-USED-YOU-AS-A-LAST-RESORT-FOR-THE-ASSASSINATION."

"Are you saying Balamb Garden had nothing to do with that order?" Schala wondered out loud.

"Martine disobeyed orders and planned for the assassination of the sorceress on her own accord. We suspect she had been planning it for a long time." The faculty continued. "You just happened to show up just before the mission was to be carried out. They used you."

The shocking discoveries just kept on coming. Headmaster Cid had probably nothing to do with the order and they were used to carry out the insane attempt to kill the sorceress. But why? Why would the headmistress of Galbadia Garden want the sorceress dead? Why have SeeD try to assassinate her?

"But the operation failed. The sorceress is still alive and..." He paused for a moment, Schala refocusing her attention on him and off her thoughts. "The sorceress retaliated. Just as we suspected she would."

"No doubt, it was the sorceress who ordered the missile attacks." An ominous paused ensued in which both SeeDs could feel the unseen stares of the faculty members on them. "Something must be done to calm the sorceress' anger."

Something was definitely off…

"Wait a minute. That's just..." Schala started, realising what he was referring to.

They wouldn't…

"In order to do so, we need to hand over those involved in the assassination attempt to the sorceress. We have to show Balamb Garden's sincerity." He concluded, stepping forward with the remaining faculty members that had been surrounding the teens and not just hiding.

They would!

"Bujurururu!" NORG intervened. "OFFER-THE-SeeD's-HEAD-ON-A-SILVER-PLATTER-AND-PRETEND-WE-OBEY-THE-SORCERESS!" He shouted out and the faculties gave one step forward.

"Wha..." Schala started, focusing to organize her thoughts passed the anger that now invaded her. "Why aren't we fighting the sorceress!?" She yelled back at him, causing the faculties to step back in surprise.

"What about all the training we endure everyday!? What good is it if we don't put in practice!?" She continued yelling it and Zanya nodded in support, the martial artist not even surprised by the usually quiet gunblader as her own chest burst with indignation.

"WHAT-DID-YOU-SAY!?" NORG shouted back, surprised such a puny SeeD would talk back at him. "YOU-LOST-TO-THE-SORCERESS! QUIT-YOUR-WHINING!"

That would usually make the girls wince, but the rage was too great.

"Headmaster Cid was saying the same thing..." One of the faculty members whispered to another lowly but loud enough to be overheard.

"H-Hey..." The other one let out as he noticed the Garden Master's stare focus on them.

"Bujurururu!" He cried and the faculty members retreated some more.

"CID!?" He shouted out in a rage. "THAT-IDIOT-CID-DISPATCHED-SeeD-TO-SPY-ON-THE-SORCERESS-BECAUSE-OF-THAT-SILLY-NOTION-OF-SeeD'S-TRUE-PURPOSE, AND-THEY-WERE-CAUGHT!" He raged.

"THEY-TIPPED-HER-OFF, HE-BROUGHT-THIS-UPPON-US! THIS-GARDEN-WILL-BE-DONE-FOR!" NORG continued to trash about inside his pod.

"MY-GARDEN! IT-WILL-BE-ALL-OVER!"

_Your Garden?_

"THAT-IDIOT-CID. HAS-HE-FORGOTTEN-THAT-IT-WAS-I-WHO-PUT-UP-THE-MONEY-TO-ESTABLISH-GARDEN!?" He roared.

_That doesn't make it yours…_

"I-WANTED-TO-OFFER-THE-SORCERESS-CID'S-HEAD-ALONG-WITH-SeeD'S."

_It is the only home we've ever known…_

"I-ORDERED-THE-STUDENTS-TO-FIND-CID-BUT-THEY-SIDED-WITH-HIM!"

_Garden belongs to all of us!!!_

"Bujurururu!" NORG's barking made all faculty members scatter in an instant and out of sight. "Bujurururu! THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!"

"NO!" Schala's shout silenced his rant as she finally released all the anger that was building up inside her. "Garden isn't yours!"

"Bujurururu!" NORG's yell vibrated around them "THEN-WHOSE-IS-IT!?" He barked, not allowing Schala to shout back as he continued almost immediately.

"IS-IT-CID'S-AND-EDEA'S!? THAT-PATHETIC-MARRIED-COUPLE'S!?"

Nothing he'd said so far had shocked the SeeDs more than those last words.

"What...?" Schala let out, question not meant for anyone but her own mind.

_Headmaster Cid and Sorceress Edea are married!?_ She thought._ How's that possible, that's not possible… How…? I don't get it._

Zanya was having the same difficulties accepting that line, so much she had to tell herself the big bloated yellow thingy just had to be lying. Cid couldn't possibly be married to someone who had just tried to blow up Garden, not to mention Cid had been in it at the time. It just couldn't be.

"Bushurururu...NOW-I-UNDERSTAND." NORG let out, calmer than the SeeDs had ever heard him.

But that didn't last as he raged again.

"CID-AND-EDEA-ARE-TRYING-TO-TAKE-GARDEN-AWAY-FROM-ME." He roared, suddenly focusing his big round eyes on the two young women.

"YOU'RE-ONE-OF-CID'S FOLLOWERS-AREN'T YOU!? PREPARE TO DIE!" He let out, half his message distorted by electronic static as the pod closed on him.

"Schala, look out!" Zanya shouted when the pod closed and both readied their weapon and knuckles, set to strike at the self-proclaimed owner of their Garden.

"Bujurururu... I-WILL-NOT-FALL!" He shouted out through the pod's speakers as two usually green orbs on the lower par of the pod began to glow as they shift to yellow.

"THIS-POD-IS-UNBREAKABLE!" His distorted voice echoed inside and out the protective cocoon. "YOU-CANNOT-DEFEAT-ME!!"

"We'll see about that!" Zanya let out as she charged, fiery fist first.

The impact was loud, flashy and hard, but Zanya bounced back leaving the armour intact.

"What the hell!?" She let out in confusion. She'd given her all and didn't even make a dent.

The coloured orbs at the front flickered from yellow to red and started to glow with unnatural energy.

"Zanya, move!" Schala cried out and without question, the martial artist instinctively flipped backwards, avoiding the double deadly lasers by millimetres.

Schala charged, gunblade held tightly as she slashed at the two orbs, one after the other. In both cases, as the blade connected with the orb's surface, it shifted its colour back to yellow and hardened to an unbreakable shell from the somewhat gelatinous state it was previous in. whatever had happened, it prevented the blade from cutting any deeper. Schala brought her blade up to deflect any beam they could fire at her, but none came her or Zanya's way.

The yellow colour remained just enough for the women to catch their breaths before shifting back to red and a new set of red beams fired towards them, forcing them to dodge.

Schala analysed what she'd just seen, a theory forming as she moved around a new laser beam and got close enough to slash against one of the red orbs. The touched surface shifted almost instantly to yellow and just like before, it remained un-reactive as the second orb, the one that hadn't been attacked and remained red, kept firing lasers at the dodgy martial artist.

_Could it be__…?_ She pondered as the orb she'd hit shifted back to red, forcing her to jump back to avoid a new wave of lasers that came her way. With a plan forming in her head, she charged again, evading the beams and slicing again and again at the, now, yellow orb.

She noticed it then, while yellow the surface was hard like it was protecting itself and didn't attack, but when it was red the surface would become gelatinous and it would attack. Now she had something to work with…

"Zanya!" She called out as the martial artist kept her distance from the pod while evading its attacks.

Zanya launched the gunblader a side glance of acknowledgement before jumping back over a beam.

"Hit the red orb and it'll stop attacking." She informed, ducking under a laser.

There was a twinkle in the martial artist's baby blue eyes that worried Schala for the second she had to spare between attacks. She'd only ever seen that glow when the blonde SeeD was about to do something reckless, thoughtless and absolutely destructive.

"Got it!" Zanya shouted back and stopped moving all together as she landed from her jump.

The woman focused, the air around her growing ticker with the heat she was gathering around her. Such were the pressure and temperature difference the set of beams that were shot her way were diverted by its sheer force.

Then she opened her eyes and released the stored energy. A heat wave ran across the room as Zanya charged like a lightning towards the pod. Jumping high, she contacted, feet first, against the red orb with a mighty air twirling kick causing a loud bang to echo throughout the room. Her feet all the way to her leg penetrated the red orb that didn't even have the chance to switch to yellow. With some effort, Zanya managed to dislodge her member from the now crushed device, shaking electronic and mechanical remains off her, now, ripped sweatpants.

"Woah…" Schala couldn't stop but stare at the girl's sheer destructive prowess.

The shorter girl could pack quite a punch… or in this case, kick. No wonder Diablos had been taken back by her earlier, and still unknown to her, display as she dispatched the two Oilboyles.

Not wanting to be left behind and surpassed by her companion, Schala got ready. Focusing her energy on Revolver, she tapped into her own destructive power for one mighty blow. Then she waited. According to her rough calculations, the orb should be turning red right about… _NOW!_

Schala released all her strength in one potent thrust straight through the red orb. The device still started to flick onto yellow, but it was too late. The blade vibrated as she pressed the trigger and almost seemed to grow longer as the mechanism was shattered into a million pieces.

"Sweet." Zanya commented with a smile.

"Same to you." Schala replied, dislodging her weapon and making the martial artist blush in both surprise and pleasure from the compliment.

"Bujurururu…" NORG's voice felt itself hear for the first time since the battle started. "DON'T-THINK-I'M-BEATEN-YET!!"

"THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!!" He continued to yell as a different kind of energy started to focus on the front of the pod.

Though clearly different, the energy was familiar to the SeeDs that had barely time to exchange a warning glance.

"COME-GF! KILL-THEM-SeeDs!!!"

_A GF!?_ Both girls wondered. Could the big yellow tub of fat really have a GF?

Their answer came as the space before them split and distorted, creating a circular opening in mid air. Something pushed through a transparent layer separating both realities and a see-through fluid oozed through the gap and fell on the ground as if it had a mind of its own. The two women looked curiously and attentively as the long shape began to solidify. With a high pitched cry, the head of the water snake materialized along with a pair of sharp fins and a tail, its centre remaining as a fluid and transparent water moving cylinder.

As Leviathan hovered, wrapped in itself, Schala and Zanya had to ponder on their next course of action. They never expected to face a GF within their own Garden.

"ATTACK!!" NORG's voice sounded and immediately the Sea Serpent started to charge.

It first charged in for an attack, forcing the SeeDs to roll out of its path. Leviathan turned as if preparing another run, but the teens were prepared for it. But they weren't prepared for what followed. Instead of following in with the charge, Leviathan cried out again and in mid dive, it turned into an immense mass of water that came crashing down like a tidal wave that dragged them across the room.

Schala just barely had enough time to stab her gunblade onto the grated floor, grabbing Zanya's hand so she wouldn't be taken by the flood. But it was a short lived win as Leviathan materialized underwater and rammed the two women, his sharp fins cutting their skins and throwing them off.

They had to strain to be able to swim for safety and ended up seeking refuge on top of the sealed pod.

The Sea God rose from the waters and the SeeDs had little time to react as a new tidal wave began to form.

"Hold on tight!" Zanya let out as she focused, a red hue surrounding her as she performed her summoning.

"Come, Ifrit!" She called out loudly and Schala had indeed to hold on as the entire room shook with the Fire Lord's entrance.

The waters grew restless and suddenly turned to steam, covering everyone's sight as a huge fireball emerged and dissipated in an instant heat wave that evaporated all of the water surrounding them, leaving nothing but small puddles and the tall and imposing figure of the Fire Lord.

Ifrit looked around, finding his master's offender hovering high in the air. Without a moment's hesitation, Ifrit brought his arms back, throwing them forward along with two huge fireballs directed at the serpent, forcing it to evade them. As Leviathan flew to the side, it didn't have time to avoid the fiery demon as he leaped into the air and grabbed him with his large clawed hands, bringing him down to the ground.

They slammed hard onto the floor, Ifrit on top and as he tried to restrain a struggling Leviathan. Meanwhile, Schala and Zanya were trying to pry the pod's door open, without success.

"Damn this thing!" Zanya complained, her knuckles already white from the strain. "It won't budge!"

"We have to figure out another way to open it!" Schala let out, her tone betraying her own strain as she used her gunblade as a prying lever, but with the same fruitless results.

A loud growl interrupted their efforts as they turned to see the origin. Ifrit had managed to pin Leviathan onto the ground, but the Sea Lord had turned the tables. Like before, he turned into a huge water mass, surrounding and submerging Ifrit completely in a floating water ball.

Unable to muster the heat to free himself due to the amount and concentration of water surrounding him, Ifrit now howled in pain.

_**Damn Dog, can't do anything right!**_ A chilling voice echoed inside Schala's mind as she just then realised the return of her cold presence.

_Shiva!? You're alright now?_ Schala wondered, feeling the Ice Goddess's powers were probably not at one hundred percent yet.

_**I'm good enough.**_ Shiva replied, sending a cold chill down her spine as confirmation. _**Now get me out there before Dog-Breath gets out of breath.**_ She told her and Schala nodded, preparing for her entrance.

Leviathan stopped his attack suddenly, releasing his hold on Ifrit and materializing again as he felt the water he'd created starting to freeze up.

He looked back to see the surface quickly turning to ice and the Fire Guardian recovering enough to jump out of the water and seek refuge with the SeeDs on top of the pod.

The ice thickened on one specific point and in an instant, an icicle irrupted and shattered into hundreds of frozen pieces, revealing a blue skinned woman with long blonde hair. Shiva shoved back a lock of hair with her hand, her face seriously chilling as her crystal blue eyes opened with a freezing stare. She first locked onto her opponent, the Sea Serpent feeling a chill despite their distance as he assessed the new threat. Shiva then spared a glance to the mangled shape of the Fire Lord who struggled to recover his breath.

Ifrit caught her gloating eye and glared while the Ice Guardian smirked, turning back to the Water Lord.

"**Never send a Dog to do a Goddess' job.**" Shiva's freezing tone reverberated through the ice.

Ifrit's scowl went ignored as Ice and Water prepared to face off in battle. Leviathan let out a high pitched shriek as he got ready to charge while Shiva merely stretched her right arm forward. With a flick of her fingers, all the surrounding ice shattered forming hundreds of pointy ice shards. Two seconds passed and al the icicles, large and small, stirred in mid air, launching upwards towards the Sea Lord.

Leviathan had to break off his charge to evade the attack. Unfortunately, he wasn't dodgy enough and several shards penetrated his watery surface, freezing on contact and causing him to shriek in agonizing pain. He was forced to turn to water to minimize the damage since small ice particles, no matter how many, could not freeze an ocean.

Shiva observed apparently un-preoccupied as the heavy water mass descended upon the ground, growing with the melted ice and advanced towards her in a massive tsunami.

As the flood approached her, the Ice Goddess raised both hands, concentrating her chilling power into an energy sphere she then launched forward towards the raging waters. The tidal mass was immediately and utterly frozen to the core. But it wasn't over yet.

A loud cry reached them from above the frozen waters as Leviathan had escaped the blizzard behind his waters and materialized close enough for a charge. As Leviathan was right on top of her Shiva had just enough time to raise one finger between them. One finger was more than enough, however as the second it made contact with the serpent's beak a pure and powerful cold wave ran through his entire body, leaving it frozen solid.

Shiva smirked and jumped back as if anticipating the recently recovered Ifrit's intentions. The Fire Lord leaped into the air and slammed against the frozen snake, shattering it into a thousand frozen pieces.

Too weak to return to water, even with the heat Ifrit's proximity was providing, the water GF had no other choice than to return to his master's mind.

"Fushururu!!!" NORG shouted through the electronic speakers, enraged and at the same time scared from his Guardian's defeat. "THIS-MEANS-NOTHING, YOU-WILL-NOT-DEFEAT-ME!!" He let out. "THIS-POD-IS-INDESTRUCTIBLE, NOT-EVEN-HYNE-COULD-BREAK-THROUGH-IT!!!"

Schala and Zanya joined their Guardians' side as they reviewed his words. That metal cocoon really was hard and all efforts to open it had been for naught. No strength alone could break it.

"**Hey, Frosty.**" Ifrit started. "**Wanna try it? Just like old times?**" He wondered, a smirk forming on his canine shaped face.

The girls' eyes darted from one Guardian to the other, not comprehending what they were going on about.

"**Not bad, Dog.**" Shiva replied. "**That just might work.**" She added with a smirk of her own on her gelid features as she seemed to read the Fire Lord's intentions.

"What are you…?" Zanya started, voicing Schala's thoughts.

Now, both Schala and Zanya had had Shiva and Ifrit, respectively, sharing their minds for long enough to come to the realization: they didn't like each other. "Didn't like" as in, hated each other's guts, with a vengeance. Both girls believed it was mostly for them being opposite elements, fire and ice, both strong and weak against the other, but their exchange seemed to betray a deeper meaning to their relationship, present and past.

Still, knowing of their hostility towards the other made for both female SeeDs hard to conceive the two guardians agreeing on something let alone working together in apparent harmony even as it happened before their widened eyes.

"**GO!**" Shiva cried out, snapping the SeeDs from their shared musings as Ifrit began to heat up.

He jumped high but, instead of slamming forward in a fiery rage, as somewhat expected, he brought his hands forward and released all of his remaining power into a massive flamethrower directed at the pod's closed hatch. The three females stared as the capsule's door heated up, growing redder by the degree. Zanya could only think that NORG must have been feeling liked a cooked turkey inside.

"**Get ready!**" Ifrit's strain was evident in his voice as he shouted out, his attack reaching its peak as his last strengths turned into flames.

Before the astounded teenagers, Shiva also began to focus, mustering all of her ice power into her trademark and most powerful attack, Diamond Dust.

And then the flames ceased and without hesitation, Shiva released the powerful cold wave she was preparing onto the pod's highly heated front. At first glance, nothing happened as the freezing energy impacted on the flamed surface, but something did. There was a loud cracking sound, then another and another, and then the whole pod's hatch broke to shreds from the sudden shift between heat and cold. Incredibly high temperatures swung to absolute zero and no surface could resist such a strain.

It shattered like glass, leaving its occupant defenceless and the guardians drained as they retuned to their master's minds.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Schala moved in for the kill as Zanya stayed behind, apparently focusing on something. Schala rushed for the pod, Revolver at hand as she leaped towards the now opened hatch, but stopped abruptly when on top of the opening as an excruciating cry filled the air.

"Fushururu… NOOOO!!!" NORG's more than ever distorted voice echoed throughout the room.

Sparks and flames were irrupting all over the pod. Inside and out, it seemed like the mechanical cocoon was short circuiting all over the place.

"NO, STAY-AWAY!!" NORG's panic was disturbing. "I'M-AFRAID, NOOO!" He let out as the pod was swiftly burning him from the inside.

"THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!!..." His last strained cry sent chills down the SeeDs' spines as nothing they could do now could prevent the Garden Master's agonizing demise.

"Now, that's a horrible way to go…" Zanya let out, pinching her nose as the gruesome noxious stench of burnt flesh filled the room.

Schala silently agreed, but her mind was already focusing on the next issue. The late Garden Master's words related to the relationship between the headmaster and the sorceress disturbed her.

_They__'re married!? Headmaster Cid and the SeeDs… Sorceress Edea trying to destroy Balamb Garden and kill SeeDs… Just what in Hyne's name is going on!?!?_

It dawned on her that only one person was capable of clearing the confusion what assaulted her mind and troubled her spirit.

Schala turned and started heading back to the lifts at a brisk pace. Only Cid could clear up that matter and she was going to get some answers, even considering the strong possibility she wouldn't like them.

As she moved away, she ignored or simply didn't hear Zanya's call as she broke off into a run to catch up before the elevator doors closed. The martial artist was dealing with a mental struggle of her own… though hers involved a territorial fiery demon and a newcomer sea serpent…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Status!" Seifer's voice reached the soldiers as they approached the makeshift command post near the docks of Dakar harbour town.

"Sir!" One of the soldiers stepped forward. "We have searched over 70% of the town. Still no sign of the girl."

Seifer nodded without enthusiasm. He was getting bored. Sure, leading and telling people what to do was fun to a point, but it was getting old fast.

He was yearning for some action.

"Carry on…" He replied dismissively, but was cut off.

"Sir Seifer!" One other soldier called out as he came running, panicky, from an eastern street.

"What is it?" The Knight turned immediately, his eyes sparkling with his old glow with the prospect of some new development and/or a fight.

"Sir!" The soldier complied, trying to recover his breath enough so as to relay the information he carried. "The fifth battalion encountered a couple of suspicious looking characters during their rounds. When they engaged them, they fought back." He had to pause to take a breath, almost choking on it under Seifer's impatient glare. "The men are struggling, Sir. They need backup!" The soldier requested but the blond knight wasn't listening anymore.

A loud BANG was heard from nearby, from the general direction the soldier had come from, and it seemed obvious these "suspicious looking characters" were more than a battalion of ten soldiers could handle.

Seifer grabbed Hyperion and darted off into the streets. Finally, he'd get some action not to mention, if these two people alone could take off a battalion of soldiers single handed, there was the strong possibility they were SeeDs.

That thought alone made the hound's blood start to boil.

.

The silvery pinwheel soared through the air, slicing two soldiers down as it flew back into its master's awaiting pale hand. On her side, strong dark skinned arms swung a heavy quarterstaff, throwing another two soldiers down with ease.

Raijin and Fujin had been surprised by the Galbadian occupation of Dakar, an otherwise peaceful town of the Dollet Dukedom which held strong diplomatic and trade connections with the neighbouring country. Though the two teens had made their best to stay under the radar, the G-soldiers had still found interest in a petite albino young woman walking around with a large, dark skinned and muscled young man. They'd been quick to engage and the teens had been quicker to comply. And that had resulted in quite the mess… half a street in shambles, with two buildings requiring some serious remodelling.

Raijin and Fujin stood back to back, ready to take out the new wave of soldiers that approached them when…

"Well, what do we have here?" A male voice sounded above the commotion, making not only the soldiers but also the teens halt all of their movements.

Raijin and Fujin were frozen in place, barely gathering enough concentration to slowly turn as the soldiers parted ways to give passage to the blond knight.

"Well, what d'ya know…" He started, pausing as the three once companions exchanged surprised stares among themselves.

Raijin was speechless, gawping his mouth open and closed like a goldfish outta water as a low and surprisingly soft voice whispered in the silence…

"Seifer…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Before the standard AN I'd like to make a small note. This chapter, all before it as well as all to come, are dedicated to my beloved Beta whom I haven't heard a word from for over a month. I'm worried sick since she lives almost half-way across the world and besides the internet I have no way of getting in contact with her and since September 2nd, I haven't been able to which is one of the reasons I haven't updated the story sooner, I've been waiting for her. I don't know what happened beside the fact that it must have been something big since she wouldn't disappear without telling me, but another thing I know for sure deep within my heart is that she would want to see this story finished, so I'll update the two chapters I have had ready since early September for your reading experience now. As I'm sure you'll understand, I haven't been writing much after this but I promise to use most of my free time to continue my story._

_The AN that follows is as I've written when the chapter was finished so excuse the lack of update to the current situation. The same applies to the following chapter which I'll update soon after this one._

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO_

_AN.:__ Hello, hello… and my deepest, deepest apologies… I know it's been a (LONG) while, but really, I haven't had the time to write… Well, first there was exam season which went just about to the end of July, not to mention the projects I also had to deliver till then… AND, I'm moving! Yes, moving into a new home and that means there was (and still kinda are) lots of stuff to clear up from the old home on to the new home AND, not only must we sort all through the junk, we must box stuff up, load up the cars, drive to the place, unload the cars, unbox all the stuff… yeah, it's been a lot… SO, only when I got out from all of that, meaning going away on holidays, have I been able to finish this chapter among going to the beach in the mornings and afternoons… You are lucky I managed to write this HUGE chapter and the one that follows. Yes, it is done and I will update it today or soon enough. Still have a few corners to smooth over :D._

_ANYWAY, hope you liked it. The fight with NORG, mainly the battle between GFs has been running around in my mind for quite a while and I'm exhilarated to finally manage to place it on (digital) paper. Hope you liked it. Also, and because it's not possible for only the cities and localities displayed in the game to exist in the world, I've added a couple of cities and towns all around the continents. It's not done yet (or started for that matter) but I'll be picking up a FF8 map and add the cities I come up with there and maybe in a couple of months I'll post it on Photobucket for you guys to see :). Speaking of which, sorry also for the lack of drawings… same reason as for writing applies :)._

_Love ya all very much and hope you didn't take the LONG wait too badly… Sorry about that…_

_Read ya in a bit_

_Revir ****************************************************************_

_PS.: Before I go, I must thank immensely the anonymous review I got for the latest chapter and to whom I have no other way of replying… Well, here it goes:_

"_Thank you SO much for your lovely reply, I really liked it. I mean, who doesn't like hearing their story is great , huh? XD. Sorry for not updating sooner but as a compensation here goes a double update XD, so you don't have to worry, I'll only stop writing when the story ends and who knows after that…_

_Schala/Rian actions are good and there are more to come. Glad to hear someone mentioning them since most of my readers/reviewers seem to prefer Schala/Seifer ones, that might have more to come also, who knows?(Besides me and my Beta anyways ;P)_

_I'll make you a deal I've made with other reviewers, I'll keep on writing as long as you keep on reading. You don't even have to review if you don't feel like it, just read them. That alone makes me super happy XD_

_Thanks again and take care :) _

_Read ya later_

_Revir"_


	32. Chapter 32: Revelations

**Disclaimer****: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII…but I'd definitely share it with all of you, like I'm sharing this story._

**Chapter 32 - Revelations**

"Hey, Schala, wait up!" Zanya called out as she entered the elevator just before the doors closed, but the brunette woman didn't react, remaining leaning against the glass and deep in thought.

"Schala, what the hell was that back there?" The blond martial artist continued as after the tension of battle had dissipated, all that happened came crashing down on her. "What is going on? And where are we going?"

Zanya looked helpless to the other SeeD. She was confused, she was beyond confused and Schala's unapproachable attitude wasn't helping.

"Schala!" She all but shouted in her ears and was about to continued but she cut her off.

"I don't know." She replied, her tone cracking off her usually calm pace. "Just forget about it." She added, trying to keep her cool…

… and failing miserably…

"How…? But…!!!" Zanya started but Schala's voice echoed once again inside the lift.

"What's the point of trying to guess on things we don't understand!?" She shouted.

Yes, she shouted. She was loosing it.

"This is crazy!" She added before Zanya could interject, slamming her fist against the glass wall and shattering it into a hundred pieces.

_I __feel like a helpless puppet being manipulated in some major scheme, without a choice or say in the matter… _Schala's mind wandered…

Zanya stayed quiet as the brunette removed her bloodied hand and took a deep breath. The injury didn't seem to bother her as if she wasn't acknowledging it. Her mind was in such a disarray, she couldn't concentrate.

"What are we gonna do?" Zanya asked after a moment in which the gunblader seemed to calm down and compose herself, somewhat.

The elevator had just reached the ground floor and opened its doors, but its occupants remained unmoving.

"I have to ask the headmaster." Schala let out after almost a minute. "Only he can clear this up." She added, stepping out of the elevator with a nodding Zanya behind her.

Schala had realised a bit before, her only choice of understanding what was going on around her was to ask the older man. The same man that, according to the deranged and deceased Garden Master, was married to the same person that had tried to destroy Balamb Garden, that had most likely destroyed Trabia Garden and that had taken Seifer as a Knight and turned him against SeeD… The headmaster had some explaining to do, that was for sure.

Without paying attention to her surroundings, Schala headed straight for the infirmary. The doc said she wanted to see him and he was long overdue for a check-up, so that was the most likely place to find him. That if he hadn't hidden in his office again.

Such was her focus on her destination, she didn't even notice Rian as he called out to the women, coming from the library area. Zanya was divided by paying him attention or following Schala but her problem was resolved as he jogged their way.

"Hey, what's going on?" He wondered, keeping pace as he noticed Schala hadn't responded, turning to Zanya instead. "Is the audience with the Garden Master over already?"

"You know about that?" Zanya wondered in surprise.

"I was with Schala when she was called in… what happened?" He demanded, realising the martial artist had been in a fight and that Schala had her gunblade, item she didn't carry during their tour, and a bloody hand.

"The Garden Master was a prick!" She replied as they turned into the infirmary corridor. "He was trying to deliver us to the sorceress to save his own ass." She added, looking ahead as Schala didn't even react.

She didn't even seem to realise the two of them were following.

"That's awful." Rian couldn't help but comment. "But where are you going now?"

"We're gonna see the headmaster." Zanya provided, Schala having already arrived at the door. "Ask him to explain stuff." She added, stepping next to the gunblader as she took a calming breath and knocked on the door.

Without waiting for a reply, the door opened and the SeeDs entered the main infirmary ward with Rian behind them murmuring a muffled "I see…"

"Yes… Ahh, Schala, you again." Doctor Kadowaki greeted. "Zanya, Rian." She added as the other two teens followed her in.

Her expert eyes immediately detected the battle damage they sported, but since they were less than flesh wounds, she paid them no mind. The seriousness of the brunette woman's stance told her the matter was not of minor injuries.

"What can I do for you?" She wondered, already anticipating her response.

"Is the headmaster here?" Schala asked without a moment's pause.

The Doc looked at her deeply for a few seconds, unsure if she should allow the meeting. Whatever the girl had to discuss with Cid, it was no little matter.

"He is, however…" She started, but a voice coming from one of the cabins cut her off.

"I'm ok now, Maggie." The headmaster's voice rose above a whisper and Schala visibly tensed.

She had so many questions, so many doubts. Did she really want to know the answers?

"Are you sure, Cid?" The Doc wondered, looking back at Schala with slightly narrowed eyes. She surely wasn't happy.

"Yes, I believe I'm done crying." He replied with a dry chuckle and the doctor stepped out of the teens way, allowing them passage towards the bed he was sitting on but not without a warning…

"Alright, but take it easy, ok?" She mentioned, especially directed at Schala. "He's got a lot on his mind."

_That makes two of us._ Schala replied inwardly as the three of them stepped in front of the headmaster's cabin, the doctor resuming her work on her desk.

The headmaster looked as tired as he was when he was entering the elevator on the B1 level, former residence of the late Garden Master. And now both girls knew what had taken so many years off the usually cheerful old man. NORG was indeed a piece of work.

"You always catch me in such embarrassing states…" He commented, turning in the bed so he could face them.

Schala was standing straight. It was obvious she had a lot of things to talk about, and things he'd rather not talk about at that moment but that probably could not avoid. After all, the girl deserved some answers after all she'd been through. Zanya stood a bit more to the back, her expression not half as severe as the brunette. He could see the confusion and doubt, as well as curiosity but the determination and ferocity were much more serene.

He also noticed Rian's presence. He wasn't a SeeD and the matters they were most likely to approach had little to nothing to do with him. Cid liked the young man, he had spunk and a determinate spirit. He couldn't very well ask him to leave, that'd be rude of him.

"Well, what's on your mind?" Cid started since they seemed hesitant to do so.

Schala was still considering where to start. She was just so confused. She had tried to organize her thoughts during her heading there but to no avail. The questions just followed up in her mind, one after the other. It was too hard to think straight.

"Sir…" She started with a strained salute, by-product of her years in Garden.

Zanya almost jumped to a salute then, but the older man dismissed it with a wave of his hand. That was no time for formalities he could live without.

"…"

From every pair of eyes surrounding her, a stare of anticipation bore holes in her. It was just too much.

"About Garden Master NORG…" Schala started, but didn't even give him time to answer her as the train of thoughts assaulted her.

It wasn't enough to ask about that… there were too many questions.

"… He said some things…" Schala continued just when they thought she was done, "… he talked about SeeD's true purpose, about Garden and headmistress Martine and about…"

Schala stopped then, looking up to the headmaster for some sign, something to tell her it was all in her head, nothing important. There was no such signal and the question had to be asked.

"Sir… is it true you and Sorceress Edea are married?" She asked point blank much to the surprise of Rian and lack there of on the doctor's face.

Rian was about to comment but the tenseness of the room seemed to render his words mute as he took on the cue of the SeeDs and waited for Cid's answer.

"If NORG told you all this and you're still here, then…" He started, staring into Schala's eyes, "… Am I right to assume he's…"

He let the question linger but Schala didn't need more of a hint. She calmly nodded though her question had not been answered. Well, questions. In any case it felt like just voicing them had released a heavy burden from her shoulders. Though she still burned for the answers to those questions.

Cid closed his eyes. Despite the more than probable gruesome outcome, he was finally free. Garden and SeeD were finally free from NORG's influence and greed. Finally they could focus on their true goal without anymore interference. He composed himself, refocusing his attention on the teens awaiting his explanation.

"I see…" He let out, taking a breath and getting ready to spill the beans on everything.

"First of all… Yes, it's true. Edea is my wife." He stated and there were a couple of jaws hitting the floor.

Doctor Kadowaki pretended she wasn't listening, but her pen stopped pressing on the papers ahead of her often enough. Still this piece of information did not surprise her. She and a selected few, mainly those present since the inauguration of Garden, already knew of the current Balamb Garden headmaster's background.

Even as Schala was surprised for the headmaster's confirmation, she barely showed it. She had to stand firm even with the dreaded information being learned or she'd tip over. Rian and Zanya weren't as subtle in their reactions, both having their mouths hanged ajar with what they heard.

"She had been a sorceress since childhood. I married her knowing that. She was a good woman." He told them, closing his eyes as he basked in his memories.

"And we were happy." He let out, barely remembering the teens' presence. "We worked together, just the two of us running an orphanage in the coast of Centra continent. We were very happy." He added, more to himself than the others.

"Then the sorceress wars happened with Sorceress Adel, ruler of Esthar, running wild across the globe…" He continued, pausing as the subject seemed particularly difficult.

"Even when all trace of her disappeared and the world recovered from the atrocities made, evidences of her actions remained…" He continued under the SeeDs' and Rian's attentive eyes and ears. "The orphanage was suddenly overrun with children. Children who had lost their parents and their homes to the war."

"Those were not so happy times." He opened his eyes and stared at both Zanya and Schala for a few moments before continuing. "The children were happy with the few we could provide them, but their origin and the cause of them being there forever tormented Edea…"

"Then one day, out of the blue, she came to me with an idea, a revelation…" His eyes glassed as he remembered their talk by the beach, when she told them of the amazing idea she'd had. "She wanted to create a group of specialized militaries whose sole purpose would be to…" he paused, refocusing on the SeeDs who held their breaths in anticipation, "… Kill the sorceress."

All teens were taken back with the information.

_Kill the Sorceress… SeeD's true purpose… Was that what Seifer wanted to know back at the prison? But Edea should know that already, why ask? Was it to know if we knew? Why __didn't any of us know of this?!?_ Schala's thoughts continued to be mixed around as if they were stuck in a washing machine. These answers were only bringing about more questions.

Still, she didn't interrupt as the headmaster continued.

"To defeat any sorceress that threatens the land like Adel did, so that any new sorceress' wars could be prevented." He stared back at Zanya and Schala, them returning his gaze. "To prevent the resulting orphans of such a destructive war…" He added with a smile meant for the SeeDs.

_SeeD was Edea's idea… she wanted to prevent a new sorceress' wars… How could such a person end up trying to destroy all that she herself had thought up?_

"I became immediately obsessed with that plan. Stop a new sorceress' war, stop the massive orphaning of children… I was a man with a mission then, however... the SeeD's goal concerned me…" He admitted. "The possibility of SeeD might one day come to kill Edea, my wife…" He closed his eyes then chuckled.

"She laughed when I voiced my worries. She even told me that would never happen…"

"Still, here we are…" He sighed.

The silence stretched for a few moments before Cid could carry on with his telling of events.

"As I was saying, I became very enticed with this project and, along with a few of my friends, we started struggling to raise some funds to build the Garden." He continued.

"That's when NORG stepped into the picture…" He added, narrowing his eyes momentarily. "He is… was from the Shumi tribe. A black sheep, one might say."

"When he heard our idea, he immediately became interested in building a mercenary academy and, even if the reasons behind it were other than ours, his money was invaluable."

"With his assistance, we managed to acquire the ancient structure we now know as Balamb Garden and with some remodelling, we had it finished in no time."

"And thus, Garden was born and we began training and teaching those to become SeeDs straight off. However, we needed an enormous amount of funds to run the Garden. So we began dispatching SeeDs around the world as a means of supporting the Garden."

"NORG's idea was right on the money." He said with not so hidden disdain for his own statement.

"With such a great success with Balamb Garden, we endeavoured in the building of two more Gardens, finding and using two other restored bunkers in Trabia and Galbadia territories." He explained.

"I insisted that my friends Albert and Mark, who you know as instructor Brandt, should take headmaster positions in the two Gardens respectively, but NORG insisted on an acquaintance of his to take the position as Galbadia Garden headmaster: Martine."

"She was a gunslinger in every possible meanings of the word." He added as he remembered their first meeting. "A mercenary that had worked for NORG previously, his own personal guns for hire… I was hesitant, but she had long experience with the job, so she became Headmistress in Galbadia Garden."

"Though at the beginning, she was but a subordinate of NORG's, overtime she found interest in SeeD's true goal as she grew attached to everyone under her care."

"So when the Sorceress threatened her Garden and her children, I'm sure she didn't hesitate…" He let his statement linger before resuming his story.

"With the two new Gardens, money flowed into Garden in an endless stream and what was supposed to serve as training for the ultimate purpose of preparing the SeeDs to fight the sorceress, turned our ideals around. NORG used SeeD to fill his greedy pockets, and the truth was covered up."

Cid had spoken for a long time and the teens' attention never left him. It was a lot to take in. the truth behind it all was overwhelming. So much the teens at that point could only listen.

"A few years after the Garden was up and running, Edea disappeared." He told them with sadness evident in his eyes. "She had been saying she should leave for a while then, but I never thought she would just disappear…"

"Then a while back, first rumours of a sorceress allying with the Galbadian Empire came up and I believed it was time…" He raised his head to the SeeDs for the first time since a while. "Time for SeeD to realise their true mission."

"Of course NORG would have none of that and that's how this whole mess started…" He confessed, lowering his head and obviously meaning the civil war within Garden.

He was visibly tired. Though the weight on his shoulders seemed to have lifted, telling them and reliving all of that in his mind was still too much.

"That's probably enough for now." He added. "In the end, it was my fault, for giving up control."

Headmaster Cid lowered his head, resting for a bit as the teens pondered on his words. It'd been a lot to take in.

"What do we do now?" Schala let out, not exactly meant as a question but it just escaped her lips.

Zanya, Rian and even doctor Kadowaki looked over her way. She seemed to be taking it all rather well, especially considering the state she was in on arrival.

Looked like truth really does set one free.

"We should stop drifting around soon…" The headmaster let out, raising his head but not looking for any of them in particular.

"I only hope that we can get things back to the way they were…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I really didn't expect to find you guys here." Seifer admitted as he and his two friends crossed the streets of Dakar, heading for the docks. "But I'm glad you made it out." He added.

It had been a somewhat awkward reunion when Raijin and Fujin had found Seifer. It was awkward that all of the galbadian soldiers moved to grant him passage and it was odd that they seemed to answer to him. As far as Raijin and Fujim knew, Galbadia was responsible for bombing the Garden and as far as they were aware, they've succeeded. Why was Seifer with them? They had to wonder, but at heart… it really didn't matter.

"We had to come lookin' for ya, ya know?" Raijin provided, such worrisome thoughts escaping his mind as it was overwhelmed with happiness to have found his dear friend.

They were a pose after all. It shouldn't matter which side they were on as long as they were together… right…?

"And it's a good thing you did too." Seifer commented with a smirk on his lips. "Now you can join me." He added. "The three of us together, there is nothing we can't handle."

He said and Raijin cheered. Fujin merely nodded, cheering would be too much out of character though she was excitedly happy to have reencountered Seifer.

"So how did you know where I was, anyway?" Seifer remembered to ask.

Raijin and Fujin exchanged a look. When had it been when they learned he was in Galbadia?

"GARDEN!" Fujin let out, making Seifer tense slightly at the word not the tone.

Seifer was more than used to her way of speaking, but the mention of Garden made him on edge for a reason he didn't immediately recognise.

"Oh, that's right!" Raijin let out, remembering it also. "We went to Galbadia Garden to deliver a message to the headmistress there, ya know?" He provided.

Seifer was now fully attentive to his friend's words. That might have something to do with the sorceress and SeeD.

"It was a couple of days ago, but…" He paused as he organised the events in his memory. "We ran into Schala and instructor Trepe… they said you died, ya know?" He mentioned.

"We didn't believe them. Guess we were right not to, ya know?" He was careful to add.

They had said he had been captured though, but the soldiers' attitude wasn't that of towards a prisoner. It was more like he was running the show.

"I see…" Seifer pondered, analysing what they said just said as he resumed walking.

That conversation seemed to have happened after Timber and before the parade… Whatever had happened then was of no importance now.

"Yeah, and the instructor all but ordered us back to Balamb, ya know?" He continued, talking and talking.

Same old Raijin.

"So we had to go back, ya know?" He continued, though Seifer paid little attention to what he said, same with Fujin that only took note on the veracity of his statements, ready to take action in the shins if he strayed too far.

"We got there and it was all a mess! Garden Master here, Headmaster there… That till Schala showed up saying Galbadia was launching missiles towards us. Now that shocked the hell outta us, ya know?

"WHAT!?" Seifer, who had been ignoring his friend's rant, all but yelled once he heard her name.

_Leonhart, at Garden? _He thought. _How? Wasn't she in the team that blew up the missile base? There's no way she got to Balamb before the missiles. _He reasoned.

_Unless…_ Seifer narrowed his eyes though he couldn't help accompanying the gesture with a smirk. _Why, wasn't that sly of you, Leonhart…? They must have separated into two teams. Only that way could they get to both places in such a short a time._

"Schala came back to Garden to warn us about the missiles." Raijin repeated, noting, as he always did, Seifer's stance change at the mention of the brunette woman.

Now, it was no secret, especially to his two best friends how Seifer felt about Schala. To all honesty, the only one who seemed not to know was Schala herself. But this time there was something different…

"We stayed to help with the evacuation, ya know?" He added. "We were already in town when the missiles flew by…" He paused for a moment.

"We don't know if she got out before they hit, though, ya know…" He stopped, looking over Seifer closely.

In addition to slightly tensing at the mention of the missile hit, Seifer's stance seemed strained. He couldn't read his reaction.

Though the girl of his affection's safety passed through his mind, the sorceress' influence was still too great to ignore the information. He resumed walking as his mind raced. Garden had been warned and the SeeDs had evacuated. That could be troublesome for his sorceress' plans. She had to learn of this straight away.

Seifer hastened, reaching the port in just a couple of minutes. When they got there, the other two teens had to stop in awe.

Standing in front of them, hovering grandiosely above the waters and just off the harbours, was a large red structure, beautiful if it wasn't so intimidating. It took them a while to recognise it as the mobile form of Galbadia Garden, both not even knowing such a massive building could become airborne.

Seifer ignored their reaction, moving swiftly across the docks towards the vessels they'd use to take over the town. Finding a few soldiers there, he immediately proceeded in giving them orders.

"Prepare a vessel, I must return to my sorceress' base!" He all but yelled, the soldiers immediately complying after a greeting salute.

As they rushed, he grabbed hold of one of the soldier's arms, bringing him close.

"Spread the word to abandon the harbour." He instructed, the man saluting but Seifer hadn't loosened his grip.

His sorceress' orders burned deep in his mind, so much he could neither ignore nor fight them. And they were clear enough. If Ellone wasn't found in town, he was to make sure there was one less hiding spot for her to evade them.

Seifer grabbed the soldier, bringing him even closer as his two friends recovered from the surprising apparition and rushed to join him.

"As soon as the troops have gathered to leave…" He whispered, almost hissed into his alert ears as Raijin and Fujin were too far off to hear, "… Set the town aflame."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala roamed the halls aimlessly. It was too much to take in. Too much information and too many questions left unanswered, to be joined with new ones. Schala didn't know what to think, how to think even.

She felt so helpless as if stuck in an endless loop without hope of escape.

As her thoughts tormented her, Rian and Zanya walked a bit behind her. The martial artist was just about in the same state as the gunblader, but not nearly as affected. The truth had been shocking and overwhelming, but she didn't question it. She had accepted the headmaster's words and even though she had doubts, they were overrun by her callous personality. There just wasn't the need to carry all the trouble inside, like the other woman did.

Rian was divided. For one he wasn't a SeeD and he felt somewhat like a trespasser as Cid relayed the SeeDs' history. It had been a lot for him to take in as well, but he couldn't even begin to imagine how it must have affected the SeeDs, mainly Schala.

Despite what she let on, Rian knew she was a sensitive person. She took things seriously and as such, betrayal and these types of revelations cut and reached deep. He also knew, from the time spent together, that it was best to let her sort out her thoughts and doubts on her own. No matter how much he wanted to comfort her, and he wanted it deeply, any intervention of his on her thoughts would be taken badly and they would most likely start arguing again, like it had happen before in Timber and in the forest before she passed out. With the rough connection they had formed, he didn't want to break it by saying the wrong words.

So he stayed back, seeing her painfully struggling with her thoughts. Incapable of doing anything for her but observing her in silence from a distance…

"Schala!" Xu's voice cut through the silence, catching the attention of the three teens and completely clearing their minds from the troubled thoughts that haunted them, at least for the moment.

Zanya and Rian rushed forward towards Schala as Xu approached them.

_What is it now?_ Schala couldn't stop but wonder just as Xu spoke again.

"Have you seen the headmaster around?" She asked them, making Zanya and Rian share a look as Schala answered.

"He's at the infirmary." She replied, her tone completely void of emotion.

"What's up, Xu?" Zanya couldn't help but ask as, with a nod, she made to move past them.

"Is there something wrong?" Rian added as the older woman stopped to answer them.

"Head for the second floor deck and see for yourselves." She told them, resuming her way.

"There's a ship approaching our position." She elaborated. "We don't know who they are or what they want. I have to tell the headmaster right away!" She added and darted into a run towards the infirmary.

All they needed now was a Galbadian attack vessel on their tails, or worse if the sorceress was on board. Whatever it might be, at least it would distract their minds of the mind blowing revelations they had just received.

As so, Schala rushed towards the lift, with the other two teens following after her not a second later.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The heavy doors of the Sorceress' Chamber in Galbadia Garden's third floor opened up wide as Seifer pushed them with ease. He immediately advanced through the wide room, approaching his sitting Sorceress as his friends stepped behind him slightly hesitant.

Again when they entered the mobile red Garden, all soldiers and Galbadian personnel stepped aside to allow Seifer passage. The blond gunblader had told his pose that he was a Sorceress' Knight now and that they controlled the military. Saying Raijin and Fujin were surprised would be quite the understatement. They honestly didn't know how to react to that information, so they did what they always did.

They followed Seifer.

So, even as he neared the presumably enemy of SeeD and Garden and everything they knew and kneeled before her, they stood behind him.

"My Sorceress, I've returned." He let out but the sorceress didn't move from her high back chair.

"Ellone." Her voice carried in her quiet, alluring but at the same time daunting tone.

"She was not found." He informed. "Preparations have already been made." He added, anticipating her query.

She nodded and only then did she seem to notice the two teens that had accompanied her knight inside her chamber.

"Who walks with you, my Knight?" She inquired, her freezing and terrifying amber eyes focusing on them.

"They're with me, my Sorceress." Seifer said with confidence.

If there was one thing he knew better than the sorceress' power, was that the three of them would always be together.

Edea stared hard at the blond knight, reading his thoughts and soul. His loyalty towards them and theirs towards him was undeniable. And they were strong too, they could be useful.

"As you wish, my Knight." She replied, filling Seifer's heart with happiness.

He wasn't sure what he'd do if she had ordered him to kill his friends. But his Matron would never ask that of him…

_**Wouldn't she?**_ A ghastly voice wondered inside his mind, leaving its question lingering through his conscience.

"Approach." She ordered and the two teens unavoidably complied.

Yes, they were very strong. And there was nothing they wouldn't do for her Knight, as there was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

She merely nodded her approval, allowing for the two friends to breathe in relief. Her stare then focused on her Knight as he seemed to be struggling with some unvoiced thought.

"Something is troubling you, my Knight?" She wondered, all attention focused on Seifer.

The blond gunblader took a moment to organize his thoughts before relaying the information Edea was bound not to like.

"My Sorceress." He started. "I have been informed that Balamb Garden was warned of the missile attack and SeeDs have evacuated the premises before they hit." He told her.

The woman's stare hardened much to the surprise and fright of Raijin and Fujin.

This piece of information was indeed disturbing, but apart from her initial surprise, it didn't seem to affect her so. It was without much consequence, it just meant the hunt for stray SeeDs would be vaster. There was one thing though that dawned on her as she thought about it.

Galbadia Garden could be rendered mobile, that fact was as certain as it hovered above the waters as she thought. Balamb Garden could certainly float as well. Could the warning have allowed for the search and activation of the ancient device?

That was a risk she could not take.

She turned to her knight, forcing her influence upon him to retain his attention. She noticed his mind wandered much as of late but paid it little mind. He was far too weak to break her hold.

"Send word to the armada." She instructed, her tone once again calm. "We must make haste on our search." She added.

With more SeeDs on the loose, Ellone's security would be greater. They had to cover more ground.

"Part is to continue towards Fisherman's Horizon." She told him, the middle bridge harbour being one of their next appointed stops. "We and the rest will head towards Balamb."

They had to assert the situation there. A mobile Balamb Garden was more troublesome for her plans, it involved stronger resistance. She needed to know in order to be prepared.

"Yes, my sorceress." Seifer replied. "I'll order the vessels that had separated to retrieve the missile base investigation team to continue to FH:" He said and with his sorceress' approving nod, he bowed and turned to walk away, signalling the then silent teens to accompany him.

He had to let know to the troops that there were two more for them to take orders from. A Captain and Commander sounded nice enough, he smirked as he thought about it while they crossed the halls towards the bridge.

Raijin's and Fujin's thoughts, however, focused on a different angle. Seifer was Seifer, but there was something off about him. Going against Garden, against SeeD, the only other thing he ever wanted. What would make him change his mind like that, they had to wonder.

Still, no matter the doubts both might have, they would never abandon him. They would forever walk by his side as the pose they were. After all, they were the only thing any of them had ever had…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala opened the second floor's balcony door in one wide swing, alerting everyone in the balcony of her presence. She wasn't in a serene mood, just about everyone could tell.

She calmed somewhat as she stepped through, Rian and Zanya close behind. The marine air filled their nostrils with the salty scent and had they not been warned so extremely, they might actually have enjoyed it.

The balcony wasn't empty either. Some of the few cadets and SeeDs that remained within Garden had headed there with their weapons at the ready, just in case. Instructor Mark Brandt, whom the three teens had just discovered was to be headmaster of Galbadia Garden, was also there, probably to organize a defence if necessary.

He greeted them with a nod as they approached the railings to see what had placed everyone on edge.

Squinting their eyes in order to see with the sun's glare on their face, the two SeeDs and Rian were able to make out a long white ship with tall and pristine white sails as it gained on the massive blue fish, seeming to attempt to sail next to it.

Well, it certainly didn't look Galbadian. Could it be a rouse to catch them off guard? Could there be another enemy they weren't aware of? Once again Schala's mind filled with questions she couldn't find an answer to.

A few minutes passed and the ship had slowed its pace, moving alongside Garden. They could see movement and people on the deck, but couldn't make out any details. All they could tell was they were dressed in white.

The SeeDs and cadets on the balcony exchanged confused looks. None was sure what to expect and they couldn't help but feel distrusting of the intruders.

Though everyone seemed tense with the ship's approach, instructor Brandt seemed completely unconcerned, even sporting a small knowing smile.

Three people stood out from the people below as they shouted up to the higher balcony.

"Greeting! Is Headmaster Cid there!?" They called out towards the people they could see were up there.

Schala frowned. Whoever they were, they knew the headmaster and recognised the Garden in mobile form. Who were those people?

"He ain't here yet, should arrive shortly." Instructor Brandt took the lead, shouting back with his strong voice. He paused for a moment as he seemed to realise something.

"Is that you, Noah?" He wondered out loud, very loud actually, to the surprise of those around him.

"Mark? Mark Brandt!?" The male voice asked from below after a momentary pause.

What was going on? They… knew each other?

"It's been a while, kid." Mark replied.

"Indeed." 'Noah' commented. "We're coming up!" He added and seconds later two men and a woman dressed in white uniforms all but leaped into the high balcony.

Schala, Zanya and just about every other cadet and SeeD stood ready to fend off the intruders who, despite their sudden entrance, showed no hostility.

"We're unarmed." One of the men, the one who had answered to 'Noah' let out immediately.

"Stand down!" Instructor Brandt ordered and though there were some hesitations, all SeeDs and cadets lowered their weapons. "They are not our enemy." He added.

"It's good to see you again, Mark." Noah pointed out to which the older man merely snickered.

"Sorry for them." The instructor commented, turning to face the younger man. "They are a bit high strong ever since the missile incident."

"Yes, we've learned…" Noah let out. "That's why we're here." He added

"Excuse me." Rian started out, much to the surprise of many including the people he was addressing. "But, who are you?" He asked.

"Why, don't you know?" Mark cut in for Noah. "They're SeeDs." He said simply and if everyone was surprised before, there's no word to describe their state after hearing that.

_SeeDs?_ Their uniform didn't follow up on normal SeeD standards. As far as they knew, they weren't Balambian, Galbadian or Trabian SeeDs. Were there any more Gardens they weren't aware of?

"Yes." Noah started, seeing the shock in the teens' faces. "We are Sorceress Edea's SeeDs. That's her ship." He added and for a second he feared he shouldn't have.

Their reaction, mostly Schala, Zanya and Rian's was overwhelming. What did that mean? Edea's SeeDs… Sorceress Edea was trying to wipe-out all SeeDs, how and why would she have her own SeeDs?

If it didn't made sense before, now it was off the charts…

"We wish to speak to Headmaster Cid." Noah added, choosing to leave the others to their thoughts. He had more pressing matters of concern at the moment. "Where is he?" He asked.

"I'm right here." Cid's own reply cut off everyone else, as he entered the balcony accompanied by Xu.

"Good to see you again, Noah." Cid greeted the younger man with a handshake.

"Same here, headmaster." Noah replied, returning the gesture.

"I suppose you're here for…" Cid started and the white SeeD nodded in accordance.

"Yes, I'm afraid it's become too dangerous here now for her."

"I agree."

_Who are they talking about?_

"Now, I'll just…" Cid started as he turned and detected Schala's presence. "Ahh, Schala." He called out, snapping the woman from her thoughts. "You've met Ellone, right?" He wondered, making her frown.

_Ellone? The little girl from Winhill, Ellone?_

"Could you go look for her? She wanders around Garden, sometimes." He provided.

_What's going on here? And who are these guys? They seem to know each other, what's their connection?__ And Ellone? What's she to them?_

Cid frowned. The girl was usually so prompt, it wasn't much like her so space out like that. He feared her mind was fuller that ever with questions, but answering them would have to wait.

"Schala?" The headmaster's call made her snap out of her thoughts again.

"…Yes, sir." She replied and with a salute, took her leave and went back inside Garden, with Zanya and Rian following after her.

"I'll help, too" Xu added already out of earshot from the teens.

Passing through the hallway, Schala paced slowly, her mind in such confusion she was barely able to coordinate placing one foot in front of the other.

"Schala?" Zanya called out and the woman stopped though she didn't turn. "Who's Ellone? Never heard of her before." She wondered.

Yet, those SeeDs, if they were really SeeDs, at least the headmaster and the instructor seemed to know them… well, they were looking for her. This Ellone character had to be someone important.

Schala took a deep breath to, at least, order her thoughts, even the irrational ones and the questions and doubts. Once she was sure she wasn't going to break down, she answered.

"Ellone was someone from the last 'dream', back at the Desert Prison." She told them, still not turning around. "A little girl in a town called Winhill where Lanara ended up after the Centra incident." She added, making the two teens even more confused.

_Why would a bunch that claimed to be the sorceress' SeeD__s, be looking for a little girl?_

"I'm not sure that's who they're after, though…" She felt the need to add.

Schala had already considered that during her ever so constant turmoil. It didn't make sense such concern for one little girl. The name had to be a coincidence, for the sake of Schala's mental health.

"Hey!" Xu called out as she caught up. "Are you helping finding Ellone too?" She asked and most of them shrugged.

One thing still didn't make sense to Schala. The headmaster seemed to be under the impression she had met this Ellone before. Now, Schala hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him about the 'dream world' thing they'd be experimenting on occasion. So this Ellone had to be someone else, and a someone else that hanged around Garden.

"Ok, then. I suppose we should split up to look for her." Xu suggested, which seemed to go well with the two teens who were listening.

Schala was still too embedded in her thoughts. Someone she had met before. She didn't remember any of the teachers or other students named Ellone, not that she was that good with names, but she was sure she'd remember…

"Alright, how about… I check the second and third floors, you guys divide through the first floor." Xu commanded the troops. "Rian, you take the infirmary and the Quad, Zanya you take the cafeteria, Dorms and parking lot, and Schala, you take the library and the Training Centre."

_The Training Centre! That's where I've seen those uniforms before!_ Schala realised. On the night of the SeeD exam and Inauguration Ball, she went into the training centre to clear her head and a young woman she didn't know was being attacked by monsters.

The woman seemed to know her, she called her by name. After the fight, a couple of people wearing those white uniforms came up and led her away. That woman, Schala remembered, was the same from the infirmary earlier that same day. She did seem to know her.

Could that be Ellone?

"Schala! Are you listening!?" Xu called out again and the brunette seemed to awake with the revelation.

The woman was Ellone, but even if she'd seen her before it didn't exactly mean she knew her…

Still, Xu's call got her attention and she turned to face her and the others.

"Can you search the library and training centre for Ellone?" She asked as it seemed Schala hadn't been listening to a word she said.

Schala nodded still slightly absentminded. She highly doubted the woman would dwell into the training centre anytime soon after last time. The library was a more likely possibility.

"Ok then, let's go." Xu added and the group split.

Xu entered the first classroom in sight as the other three headed towards the elevator, with Rian wondering if Schala was alright and her just waving her hand dismissively as a reply.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Listen up, men! We have new orders." The commander of the GENS Mars called out to the soldiers and sailors on the bridge. "Sorceress Edea has decreed we discount the rendezvous and continue directly to Fisherman's Horizon port." He elaborated.

The men before him exchanged looks. The fleet was separating? Well, the armada was immense and all the vessels heavily armed. The entire contingent attacking one location was kinda overkill.

Besides, there was nothing the men inside the GENS Mars couldn't handle.

"What are you still doing there?" The commander suddenly barked. "Get back to work! You, adjust our course!" He ordered, pointing at a sailor. "You, send a ship-wide communicate of our new orders!" He ordered another one. "Move your lazy asses!!!"

His shout placed all under his command on the move, taking over the most variety of activities aboard the ship.

In few seconds, the Mars' new destination and orders sounded throughout the ship and all the way to the lower deck, were repair work on the Iron Clad were underway and three soldiers stood to the side and out of sight.

"New orders?" One of them whispered only to the others.

"You thing it has to do with Garden?" One other wondered to which the first shook his head.

"They mentioned Fisherman's Horizon." He murmured. "We're not likely to head into Balamb."

"I suppose…" The same other one replied as the third was on lookout for any soldier spotting them, but ever so attentive to their words.

"Maybe we can sneak out the ship then." The lookout mentioned to which he, and the other two, could only hope.

None of them was interested in spending the rest of their lives, no matter how long those might be, wearing smelly and itchy uniforms and passing as galbadian soldiers in a galbadian warship.

"Shhh… someone's coming…" The lookout warned them as silently as possible and the three of them took into hiding.

"Hey, how's the repair going?" The commander yelled out at the workers as he entered the cargo hold.

The team of engineers and other personnel had been working around the heavy MRV for the past day and a half. The commander expected there'd be some results.

"It'd go a whole lot faster if the commander weren't constantly interrupting." The head engineer hinted, climbing down from the top of the armoured vehicle.

The high officer grumbled something unintelligible before all but barking at the other man.

"Haven't you heard the communicate?" He asked to which the engineer merely shrugged, not paying too much attention to the man and definitely not the least bit intimidated.

"Well I tried not to, but some of it still got through." The engineer commented between instructions to the others. "Something about FH?" He wondered, still not bubbling with interest.

"The Sorceress ordered us explicitly to continue the search for the girl, Ellone in FH!" He let out. "I want to know if you can get this thing working till then. It could be useful if we run into any resistance."

"Well…" The engineer sighed out, still not showing giving any importance to what the commander was saying. "The probability of it being 'working' by the time we arrive at FH increases exponentially if you stop interrupting us." He hinted which sent the commander fuming.

Those Shinra engineers always thought they were so great, that nothing else mattered but them and their work and theories. If it was up to him, the man would be swimming back to Galbadia but alas, the sorceress' orders were clear. Grumbling more unintelligible curses, the commander left the cargo hold, leaving the men at work and the three disguised teens something to think about.

They were looking for someone, a girl called Ellone. Why would the sorceress be looking for one girl in special?

_Wait a second… Ellone?_ Inara held her breath as she suddenly remembered. _Could it be… they're looking for Sis? _She wondered. Ellone was the name of and older girl in Edea's orphanage, since she was older everyone called her Sis. She disappeared one day, everyone thought she had been adopted.

A while after that Inara herself was taken from the orphanage and enrolled in the recently built Galbadia Garden. But… could there be a connection? Could the Ellone Sorceress Edea was looking for, Sis? Edea knew Ellone, she was their Matron after all.

Inara looked to her two friends. Neither Quentin nor Sorphan, nor Schala and Zanya for that matter, seemed to remember those days. Seifer must have remembered something since he'd sided with Matron but… Could Edea remember? And if so, why would she be looking for Ellone…

She was so confused and she couldn't even share her thoughts to the others since they didn't remember anything.

"Inara, Is there something wrong??" Sorphan whispered lowly as Quentin checked to see if there was someone around that could hear him.

Sorphan had been observing Inara and even through the uniform and helmet, he'd noticed a change in pose, a certain increase in tenseness.

"I'm ok." Inara answered just a bit too quickly, not fooling the tall brunet fully.

"Shh." Quentin's warning cut their conversation short as a group of soldiers approached their position, forcing them to save it for later.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala stepped inside the Library uncertain of what she was going to find, if anything. She still didn't know for sure who Ellone was or what she meant, both for the white SeeDs, headmaster Cid or herself. In truth, she prayed to Hyne not to find anything, but he was rather remiss lately that she had lost hope he'd ever heard her prayers.

Still it was with a steady step that she entered the book filled room, looking from side to side in search of someone that could be Ellone. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far. The same few students roaming the same old shelves, that guy from earlier was back at the counter where the cadet with the pony tail was attending him. Nothing of note.

Schala walked through the several sections of the library till she reached the reading room. There were sometimes people there, though most preferred to requisite the books and read them elsewhere, herself included, so the room was practically empty. One female SeeD reading in a corner, a male cadet had just passed by her on the way out and a slightly older woman, perhaps in her early or mid twenties, was sitting in the centre table with a few books either opened or closed over it.

The woman looked familiar to Schala. Shoulder length brown hair and a simple white shirt, a blue skirt and a green shawl over her shoulders.

_Wait a second…_ Schala thought as she realised…_ That's her, the woman from the infirmary and the training centre. Is that… Ellone?_

Schala stepped closer, slowly but not necessarily silently. She must have made some noise since the young woman turned her head slightly at her approach and even as she didn't turn around fully, Schala could still detect the smile on her face.

"Hello, Schala." She simply greeted like they knew each other since kindergarten.

Did they?

"Can I help you with something?" She wondered, seeing her struggling with her thoughts.

"Are you… Ellone?" Schala asked when she composed herself.

"…" The woman hesitated and Schala could have sworn she looked not disappointed, but sad at her question.

The silence stretched for a bit as the older woman scanned Schala's deep blue eyes. She was sad, extremely so not with what she found reflected in those familiar eyes but exactly what she didn't. No familiarity, no recognition whatsoever of whom she was.

Schala really didn't remember her.

"Yes…" She finally replied, sending Schala's brain into overdrive.

"You're Ellone' THE Ellone!?" Schala asked, almost shouted causing the SeeD in the corner to shush her.

Ellone looked back at her. She looked so helpless Ellone wished she could do something about it but knew that, if asked, she would only confuse her more.

"You know… Lanara, don't you?" Schala asked not sure why.

If it was the same Ellone, the physiology sure looked similar enough if you added about twenty years on to her. That was but one of the problems.

"I do." Ellone said, closing her eyes at the memories of the past. "I really love Auntie Lana."

That did it, Schala completely cracked then. No shushing from the woman in the corner of the room could calm her now.

"How?" She almost shouted. "Tell me what's going on? These events we're experiencing… what are they?" She almost begged.

"It's hard to explain…" Ellone hesitated. "I'm sorry… All I can really say about it is… It's about the past."

_The past… that explains part of it…_ Schala reasoned, thinking about the age difference on the woman in front of her in relation to the child Ellone in the 'dream world'.

Schala was so into her thoughts she barely noticed Ellone standing up, turning to the female SeeD in a gestured apology before turning back to Schala with a sad but determined expression.

"People say you can't change the past." She said, regaining the brunette teenager's attention. "But if you had a chance, if there was but the smallest possibility… wouldn't you try?" She asked, the answer evident in her eyes.

Ellone would try. From the way she spoke and considering what Schala had lived through, it seemed she already was…

"You…?" Schala suddenly realised. "You were responsible for it? You're the one sending us to the 'dream world'!?"

Her clear brown eyes said it all and they saw the reaction on dark blue. She saw the confusion, the almost despair. The whole situation seemed to be breaking her apart.

"I'm sorry." Ellone said to all honesty.

The last thing she wanted was to make her little sister suffer.

"Why me?" Schala let out lowly, raising her eyes to the older woman. "Why me!?" She asked louder. "I don't need this, not now… not ever!"

"I'm sorry." Ellone said again, stepping closer and trying to comfort her but Schala all but shoved her hand away, her beautiful and hard grey-blue eyes watering with overwhelming frustration.

"Stay away from me." She said, collapsing into the chair Ellone was just sitting at. "Just don't… Don't count on me anymore..."

"… Schala…" Ellone whispered, staying back as she'd asked.

She never wanted this. All she wanted was to change the past so that this present didn't exist, so that Schala and herself wouldn't suffer. Was causing pain to avoid pain really fair, or was she just being selfish?

No. Ellone believed what she was doing was worth trying. If she could only change that much of the past, they all could be one happy fam…

"Schala, there you are." Xu let out as she just entered the reading room. "I've been looking for you. Any luck finding Ellone?" She asked before seeing clearly the state the young woman was in.

"Schala, are you…?" She began but someone else caught her attention.

"Umm… I'm Ellone." Ellone said, looking back at the short haired SeeD.

"Ohh… The headmaster is asking for you." Xu told her, sparing a look at Schala. "If you would just come with me, please." Xu asked and Ellone nodded.

She stepped near Schala as if she was just getting a book off the table but she leaned over the other brunette's shoulder and whispered softly in her ear.

"You're my only hope."

After that, it was all a blur. Schala returned to her dorm room as in a trance, not listening or paying attention to anyone. She wasn't sure, as an afterthought she had the notion Rian and Zanya might have caught up or called out to her. All she remembered was getting into her room, locking the door and collapsing onto her bed, haunted by her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ellone walked with Xu back to the second floor balcony and met with the Headmaster and the White SeeDs. They exchanged compliments and said their goodbyes as Ellone boarded the White SeeD ship along with Noah and his two companions.

The White SeeD ship stretched its sails and broke off the moving Balamb Garden under the awed eyes of the SeeDs and cadets on the balcony. And as the ship sailed away into the horizon, in her room Schala slipped into a dreamless and troubled sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The massive shape of the mobile Galbadia Garden started to shift its position, getting ready to turn around. The better part of the military fleet that accompanied it made to surround the hovering red snake, setting the formation for travel.

The vessels and the red Garden began then to sail away as, behind them, from the harbour town of Dakar, on the western coast of the Dollet Dukedom territory a massive cloud of black smoke rose up into the air. The whole town went out in flames, from the civilian, transport and trade ships docked in its port to the houses and storage rooms.

From Malgo Penn, the high cliffs overlooking the town, the survivors packing just about any and everything they could carry, looked down at destruction of their homes and businesses, powerless…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala wasn't sure how long it'd been since the mind breaking revelations that had caused her to lock up in her room. Her window, that now carried a stunning view over the ocean, had been closed and its blinds shut ever since she had come back in. Could have been a day, two or just a couple of hours, Schala didn't know and didn't care.

Her thoughts kept haunting her. It was just so much to think about… But Ellone's encounter had been the latest and so the one that tormented her the most.

"_You're my only hope."… Why do people__ have to depend on each other? _Schala wondered in her half conscious state. _In the end you're always on your own. You can't take other's help for granted._

_I've made it this far by myself…_

_Sure, when I was a child I couldn't do anything on my own. _She reasoned._ I had to depend on others my whole childhood…_

_I'll be the first one to admit that I'm here because of other people…_

_But now it's different._ _I'm fine by myself. I have all the skills I need to survive. I'm not a child anymore. _She emphasized, almost as if trying to convince someone…

Convince herself…

_Who am I kidding…__?_ She sighed out, pressing her eyes closed and turning on the bed, over the sheets. _I don't know anything. I'm confused all the time._

_I just want to be able to take care of myself, not depend on anyone. How can I do that?_ She asked herself.

_Please, would someone tell me…__?_

A low and dry, and completely un-amused, chuckle echoed in the silent room.

_Someone… So I'll end up depending on others after all…_ She pondered, turning again in her bed and raising her knees, ending up in fetal position in which she eventually fell asleep…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Rian woke up early on the second day Balamb Garden had become mobile. He walked by the dorms area, stopping at one door in particular, incidentally, the same door he had stopped at the day before. Just like then, he raised his hand to knock but abandoned his plans almost immediately. It was probably too soon for Schala to calm down after everything that happened.

If the bust on the meeting with the Garden Master and Headmaster Cid's revelations hadn't been enough of a stressor for the brunette gunblader, the meeting with that Ellone woman had certainly been. She was so out of it she had completely ignored both him and Zanya when they called out to her.

And, most likely the worst of it was, they didn't even know what had troubled her so much. She hadn't spoken a word before locking herself up in her room and when asked, the headmaster evaded to answer. Not knowing what was troubling her, they could do little to nothing to help her.

Rian tried the doorknob, hoping it'd be unlocked like on the previous day but this time he had no such luck. Not satisfied with the situation, he actually knocked gently and called out to her but the result was the same. No answer.

She either wasn't in there or she just wasn't in the mood to talk, either way, Rian was left on the outer side of the door.

After that, the morning passed by slowly. Rian roamed the halls, reacquainting himself with Garden. A tour was a tour, but if you don't revisit the places it's rather useless. Besides, how attentive can you be when you're paying more attention to the tour guide than the tour?

So Rian passed by the Library and the Quad, remembering after a rather loud and embarrassing rumble that he hadn't had breakfast yet and headed for the cafeteria. There weren't many people there at that time, but then again there weren't many people in Garden. Since it was late in the morning, Zanya had most likely already had breakfast and left since she was nowhere in sight and Rian very much doubted she'd ever skip a meal if she could help it. He ended up having a late breakfast with the tall, dark haired SeeD that had lent him some clothes, Nida, and a couple of cadets, a skinny girl with long blue hair and a dark skinned young man with thick hair.

There weren't any relevant conversations as they ate, that was until the two cadets left, leaving him alone with the SeeD whom he had noticed, not for the first time either, was looking at him curiously.

"Is there something on my face?" Rian suddenly asked, startling Nida as if he hadn't noticed he was staring and was now embarrassed at being caught. "Or do I have something between my teeth?" Rian wondered to let the other man at ease and that there were no hard feelings.

Nida smiled awkwardly, taking the break he had been given.

"Sorry, it's just that…" He hesitated.

Nida had been wanting to ask for sometime now but it always seemed inappropriate. However, faced with the golden opportunity in which they were alone and Rian sported an encouraging smile for him to continue, he did.

"Are you that guy, in the Inauguration Ball… with Schala… you were…" He somewhat babbled, obviously uncomfortable with approaching the subject but curious enough to do it anyways.

"Hah, was that it?" Rian smiled warmly, an image of that most magic night flashing in his mind. "Yes, that was me… dancing with Schala that night." He confirmed it, chuckling at the _"I knew it!"_ expression on the young man's face.

"Well, it's just that…" Nida started again. "I mean, it's not everyday you see Schala dancing…" he thought for a bit, "…as in, never."

Rian had to laugh again, and Nida joined him for a bit. That certainly sounded like her, though that night he had had a completely different impression of the young woman. Now, he longed to see the dancing and relaxed Schala again…

"So, are you like…" Nida hesitated a bit but his curiosity was greater, "…her boyfriend?"

Rian stopped laughing, having to think about it. Not the boyfriend part, that one he was sure he was still far off seeing as it depended mostly on the secluded woman, but he there was something else.

Everyone, with very few exceptions, had asked him about that. Was it that rare for Schala to dance and walk around with a guy? Did that have to mean they were together in some way?

After Rian had gotten to know Schala a little bit, he was under the impression the girl was unsocial and reclusive. But now, and not ignoring the Garden Festival Committee membership that still hovered over his mind, it seemed like just about everyone was more than attentive to the gunblader's life. It dawned on Rian that Schala had probably more friends and people that cared about her in Garden that she herself realised.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business." Nida apologised, mistaking Rian's seriousness with annoyance.

"Huh?" It was more the one of her trademark remarks that snapped Rian out of his thoughts than the apology.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I was just thinking." Rian told him, seeing the other man's expression relax a bit, though still with a tinge of curiosity.

Nida still wanted to know the answer to his clumsily made question, but he wouldn't insist on it… much…

"No, I don't think I'm her boyfriend." Rian admitted if yet a bit reluctantly.

After all, that's what he wanted.

"We only met that night at the ball and just shared the one dance." Dance that would forever hold a captive place in his memories. "It was merely by chance we met again." He added.

Chance that she was picked to the SeeD squad that would aid his resistance group. Not so great a chance in the events that followed but that Rian wouldn't change for the world. No matter the hardships, they'd brought them together, even if just lightly.

Nida nodded, understanding partially the situation. It still didn't explain clearly why would Schala hang around him, but who could really understand that woman? Nida had known her since she first enrolled in Garden and, apart from some behaviourisms, he knew as much of what was going on in her mind as the day they'd met.

"I mean, I hardly even know her." Rian let out. "Her habits, likes and dislikes… She hasn't gotten out of her room since yesterday. Is that normal?" He wondered aloud, never truly expecting a reply.

"Well, she does think a lot…" Nida commented. "And though she doesn't often lock herself up in her room and not come out for days, it's not unheard of either." He added.

Rian stared at the SeeD, thoughts running through his mind.

Ok, so it might not be particularly fair but it would not be considered cheating either. The little Nida could tell him about Schala would probably not even cover the tip of the iceberg, after all she didn't even remember his name after they'd graduated together.

As much as Rian wanted to get to know her by himself, he could use all the help he could get.

"Really…" Rian started, trying to pass his interest by mild curiosity. "You've known her long?"

"Almost for ten years now." Nida replied after a moment's pause. "She was always very quiet, uncommunicative even." He continued. "A born fighter though. Ever since allowed, she'd spend just about all of her free time in the Training Centre, honing her skills."

Rian smiled as he listened attentively to every word. It hadn't been hard to get the young SeeD spilling the beans about Schala, and there was more then the small piece of curious information…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sound of heavy rain filled her ears as awareness slowly came to her. She wasn't awake yet, she realised that since she was pretty sure she'd fallen asleep in her dorm room and the rain sounded like it was practically falling on top of her head.

Schala's dark vision began to lighten, clouded at first but clearing up by the second. Soon she could make out a stone front of a familiar but long forgotten building. The construction was old, moss grew through the walls and rain water fell through the cracks, but Schala couldn't deny the distant feeling of comfort emanating from the cold walls.

Her vision focused then on a little girl with long and unruly brown hair, grabbing her knees and sitting on the steps of the stone house, just barely avoiding the rain surrounding her.

"Sis…" The little girl let out lowly, her head down in a way her face was covered by wet brown bangs.

"I'm all alone, everyone is leaving… My friends have all gone away…" The child said, a deep sadness obvious in her tone.

"I don't like being alone…" The girl added, fighting a snivel.

She then stood up, straightened her skirt and shirt and launched her heavy hair back. She had a fair complexion and large and determined dark blue eyes, glittering in the little lighting with unshed tears.

"But I won't cry anymore." She said a bit louder, nodding to herself as if interiorizing her resolve. "I'll be strong. I'll be able to take care of myself."

A tear threatened to fall and she didn't stop it as it ran down her face, mixing with the raindrops.

"So don't worry about me, Sis. I'll be fine." She said more loudly as she looked up at the covered skies, like she was talking to someone up there.

"I-I'll be ok…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Well, well…" The soft male voice awoke Schala from her sleep inebriated state, making her slowly gain awareness of her surroundings.

"Seems like I found another puzzle piece." The voice stated, clearly amused. "I'm not telling you about it, though." He added as Schala was finally conscious enough to make the recognition.

Rian stood a bit to the side of her bed, looking at Schala as she slept. It was the third day of the Garden drifting at sea, Schala having spent all of the previous day locked away in her room. This time, however, Rian didn't let himself be deterred by a locked door. He had taken advantage of a janitor with a master key coming in to drop off Schala's clothes that had gone to the cleaners, the ones that had been marred with oil, and had let himself in.

He wasn't sure how she'd react to his new intrusion, him catching her sleeping in a fetal position, fully clothed with the other day's attire, murmuring something about 'being ok' in her sleep. Again, he thought she looked adorable and only when she stirred as if she was waking up did he comment aloud about it.

Schala sat on the bed, looking back at him. Seemed his own clothes had been washed and returned to him as he wore his long dark red vest and dark brown trousers. She had to admit, they suited him. Only then did she seem to register he was inside her room again. This time she was sure she had locked her door.

She stared at him as he stared back, them exchanging a momentary silence. Then Schala realised that it didn't matter how he got in, he was there now so all that mattered was…

"What do you want now?" Schala asked him in a not so great a mood, but still not as bad as the young man had expected.

Rian cleared his throat and gave her a highly formal and traditional bow, throwing her completely off track. That was unlike him.

Rian fought back a smile. The day before he had learned a lot about Schala from Nida, and this was one of them. Unexpected behaviours sometimes threw her off, made her often focus on new things instead of dwelling on earlier thoughts. That was his mission for the day: make her forget all her previous worries.

"I was just wondering if my Lady would be available to accompany me in a stroll." He said in all formality and respectful tone.

_What is up with him?_ Schala had to wonder considering his behaviour. He was acting weird, completely out of character though it kinda reminded her of his greeting at the ball, minus the lamest pick up line ever. Yes, she had noticed it at the time, she just hadn't cared.

"Another tour?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes.

She was puzzled by his actions.

"Not exactly." He admitted, this time unable to hold the smile but soon composing himself. "I was considering something a bit more informal."

Schala looked at him, betraying some curiosity as she waited for him to continue. For something informal, he was being rather formal about it.

"I considered taking on my Lady's suggestion and endeavouring in the Monsters' Lair." He told her, very proud of himself. "Just thought my Lady might want to join me, I heard it's a perfect place to unwind."

Schala just looked at him. Rian wanted to go into the training centre? He'd shown little to no enthusiasm when she'd showed him that particular part of the Garden.

Then it dawned on her. It seemed obvious even to her that he only wanted to get her mind off things, to cheer her up. She usually frowned at such attempts, but for some reason, in that particular moment, she sort of welcomed it. She really needed to clear her head.

"Alright." Schala replied after a pause and Rian brightened up immediately, though he kept the façade for a little while longer.

"Oh, my Lady, you honour me with your company…" He started with a new bow but was immediately interrupted.

"Alright, alright. I said I'd go, knock that off." Schala scolded and he almost smiled, nodding back at her in compliance.

That was actually turning out rather well.

"Just give me…" She started.

"Five minutes, I know." He finished her sentence and without delay escaped her room and frown, closing the door behind him.

Schala stared at the closed door for a couple of seconds before stepping into the washroom with an almost smile on her face.

Outside, Rian was smiling widely, barely controlling his happiness.

It worked. It had actually worked. His talk with Nida the previous day had been invaluable and extremely informative. He learned that the Training Centre was really her favourite place in Garden and there was nothing she liked most that to unleash her concerns into the monsters. With a chuckle, Rian actually felt sorry for the beasts.

Now, with the knowledge acquired, he was actually able to get the woman out of her room and into some quality time together. Of course the monster part wasn't very alluring, but if he could spend time with her, it'd be worth it.

Five minutes passed exactly when the door opened and Rian was already waiting for her. To his pleasure, she wore her usual mini-skirt and jacket and, armed with her gunblade, she stepped out to join her. Rian had also brought his giant boomerang. They were all set for some monster hunting.

"Shall we go?" He wondered and at her nod, they both walked out of the dorms area and into the central hall.

The moment they stepped into the circular corridor, three chimes echoed within the Garden making not only them, but everyone else to look up at the speakers.

"Hello everyone. This is the headmaster speaking." Headmaster Cid's voice sounded unmistakably even through the electronic distortion of the speakers.

"The lines have been fixed, and I'm glad to be back on the air. Hurrah!" He informed cheerfully, making most of the population in Garden to either roll their eyes or laugh at his antics.

He was quite the character, that Cid.

"HUM!?" He let out and remained silent for a long while, causing everyone to focus once again in what he was saying…

Or not saying. That was unlike him and, to a selected few that either knew him too well or just could sense more problems arising, it made for a foreboding feeling.

"WHOA!!!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Still no news… ;(_

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO_

_AN.: Here it is!!! The second part of the late summer's double update…__Hurrah!!!_

_Ok, I know it's smaller than the previous one, but in my defence, the last chapter is one of the bigger ones if not the biggest, so…_

_Well, on to the chapter. Once again, I hope you liked it. I know, not many action here and it's mostly script ripping but I've tried my best to innovate not only the original script but add a few some things… Hope you liked my little twists ;-D._

_Next chapter, I promise, will be full of action. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Twisted Fantasy!!! See/Read my overview on FH, find out as the gang reunites and witness more of GF goodness!! Don't miss it!! I won't… I mean can't, really…_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_


	33. Chapter 33: Fisherman's Horizon

**Disclaimer: **_Author is currently out of the country (for fear of explosive e-mails), but she wanted all of you to know that, sadly enough, she still doesn't own Final Fantasy VIII..._

**Chapter 33 – Fisherman's Horizon**

The sun had barely peaked over the big blue ocean when it hit the old, but preserved, metallic frame of the long Horizon Bridge, a feat of Estharian architectonical might that united two continents but that, since before the end of the latest Sorceress' Wars, had been abandoned and its use forbidden.

Right about the middle of its length, a bulk of a structure stood out as the dawn's sun reflected off a round solar panel garden surrounded by somewhat crude urban development constructions.

Connecting to the bridge itself, the settlement had a rough building which once had probably been a train station but that had apparently been neglected for decades, with wooden planks barring the main passages and only a large edifice resembling a storage house seeming to be somewhat preserved. The forsaken station led to an unkempt plaza that lead to a small docking area, both which at that time - and apparently any other time of the day - seemed to have little if no use.

A road surrounded the plaza, rising as it circled around it with some houses in the outer rims. From the topmost house, the front door opened and an elderly man came out. He had short grey hair and wore a green fishing hat and overalls with a blue shirt underneath and rubber overshoes. He exited the house carefully passing a long fishing pole under the threshold and carrying a metal tackle box. He placed down his wares and composed himself before closing the door and grabbing the fishing rod and box and making his way down the path.

As he passed by one other house on the street, a man wearing greased overalls was airing his home, opening his windows and releasing thick smog from the inside. The windowsills of his house were full with a series of crafted items, mostly of a reddish furry creature with big paws and kind black eyes. The older man greeted the artisan who returned the compliment, returning to his task as the man continued his on his way.

He passed in front of the deserted plaza without a second look and kept walking into town. On his right side larger houses rose - all with a somewhat rustic outer look - while on his left, the buildings ceased giving place to a small wooden dock with small wood rafts and boats, a few larger ones, though not by much, docked farther away. He passed by a large building with an "Inn" sign hanging from the wall and greeted the short woman sweeping its entrance while gently nudging an old drunkard lying by her door. The intoxicated man grumbled and waved his arms around, complaining that he wasn't drunk and wasn't sleeping, being ignored by the woman. The old man smiled at the routine morning antics as he waved at them and continued walking.

Further down the road, he looked to his left towards the docks and his smile grew upon seeing a young boy swinging his crude fishing rod. His apprentice was undeniably tenacious and dedicated, though his skill still needed some work as instead of going forwards, the line went back breaking the window of a nearby shop. He chuckled as the old and grumpy shopkeeper all but ran out, screaming and scolding the fisherkid for the new set of damages he had inflicted into his shop. The previous day, the old man had seen a similar scene only the line got tangled and pulled down the store sign. The old man resumed walking while making a mental note to give the kid some pointers the next time around.

The path started to go up again but the old man never slowed his pace, passing and greeting many morning people, young and old, man and woman, that walked the quiet streets. He reached the top overlooking the large, round solar panel garden that powered the entire town with clean energy. The town was as peaceful as it'd ever been and he couldn't help but take in a deep breath of fresh, salty breeze before resuming his walk. He passed by a young man overlooking the high catwalk that replied to his greeting wave and finally reached the elevator where another young man, who could easily be the first one's twin - and indeed he was - greeted him warmly while letting him on the lift and operating the controls. The large platform rose slowly and steadily, reaching the top in less than a minute where yet another young man, who looked exactly like the previous two - the third triplet - operated the high lift controls and greeted him as the old man exited the lift and walked on the skywalk that went around the working tower.

Coming to a junction, the old man carefully, and never letting go on his fishing pole and tackle box, climbed down a stairwell several metres high. He came down over some platforms, a wharf where, at its edge, a simple chair and a white and blue sun umbrella rested patiently awaiting his arrival. The old man sat on the chair, setting his tackle box on the floor next to him and preparing his fishing rod. After all his preparations were done, he got up and swung his fishing pole expertly, the bob landing wide and floating over the waters.

"Boy, it's been a slow week." The old man commented to himself, setting the fishing rod on a fissure of the metal platform, one specifically enlarged and adjusted to this purpose, and leaned back on his chair.

"Come on. Give me a big one." He let out and suddenly the line began to pull and the old man all but jumped off his chair and grabbed the pole, pulling in on his catch.

"Ohh, _this is_ a big one!" He let out enthusiastically when a sound caught his attention.

The old man raised his head towards the loud rumbling and crashing noises. He froze and his eyes widened to the size of saucers as he saw a huge blue structure crashing its way through the outer work towers and cranes. A tug on the line went un-responded as the truly _"Big One"_ knocked just about anything and everything in its path, slowing down in the process. Still it was coming over rather fast and definitely too close for comfort.

As the nearby towers fell and splashed into the waters, the old man all but tossed the fishing cane away and ran for his life, surprisingly fast at that, avoiding the large wave that crashed on the platform as Balamb Garden finally halted its advance on the town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The entire Garden shook tremendously as if it had just collided against something. It continued to quake for what felt like several minutes, but as all of those still inside Garden were either grabbing on to something, falling on the floor or rolling off their

beds, Schala and a few others actually felt like they were slowing down and as the Garden stopped quivering, it had also stopped moving.

Rian was still shaken up with the sudden turbulence and when he finally managed to compose himself, he noticed Schala already running halfway around the hall before he even registered the announcement echoing within the Garden's inner walls...

"Schala! This is the headmaster speaking! Please come to my office!" Cid's voice sounded considerably altered.

"I repeat. Please come to my office _right away_!!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala barely gave time for the doors of the lift to open before she got out and covered the metres between it and the headmaster's office in long strides. As the lift was slowly, at least too slowly for her taste at the time, rising up to the third floor, she had noticed Xu running out of another elevator on the second floor pathway.

She didn't know what was going on but one thing was clearer than day. They had crashed into something.

She opened the heavy doors of the office, both slamming against the walls behind her due to her momentum's strength and rush. She reached the small lift leading to the high platform where, supposedly, the Garden's recently discovered and activated moving mechanism was located. As she rose on the, also slow, lift the headmaster's voice echoed once again from the speakers.

"Everybody, please remain calm." He repeated as she has heard him while on the lift.

"Also, please do not leave the Garden under any circumstance and heed the instructions given out by the instructors and senior SeeDs." He added, anticipating the panic and/or curiosity of the few but still plenty personnel inside Garden. "We will try to get things back to order A.S.A.P. Thank you for your cooperation."

The speakers then emitted the typical chimes and ceased the transmission just as the lift reached the top and Schala stepped into the Garden's Bridge.

"Ah Schala, thank you for coming so quickly." The headmaster commented once he noticed her presence, dismissing her salute with a wave of his hand.

"As you may have figured out, we've run into something." The headmaster started, signalling the young woman to step forward. "Take a look." He added as he looked ahead.

Schala did so, edging on the front consoles and, as indicated by the older man, looked beyond the boundaries of Garden. She was surprised, though few could tell by her lack of physical indications. There was a town, of sorts, made of pre-fabricated buildings and high working towers, with a large reflective disk at its centre and an apparent connection to the longest bridge she had ever seen. One, whose edges she couldn't even see.

"This is Fisherman's Horizon." The headmaster continued once he figured she'd recovered from the sight. "It's been quite a while since I've been here, but it hasn't changed much..." He paused for a moment, "that if we don't account for Balamb Garden having crashed into it and toppled everything in its path..."

He cleared his throat embarrassingly. After all, it was their fault FH had been so roughly awoken that day with the Garden colliding against it. Well there was nothing he could do about that now.

"In any case, here are your orders." He started again, dismissing the SeeD's salute even before she instinctively made it. "Xu should have already made contact with the locals through the second floor balcony. They seem to have arranged for an improvised access." He mentioned looking outside where they could barely see what he had mentioned.

"Luckily, she will be able to arrange for a meeting with the local Mayor to explain our situation." Cid turned and looked straight at her. "You are to join her along with any other personnel of your choosing. Please, apologise for this accident and ask for their aid. Tell them we come in peace and will leave as soon as we are able."

Schala nodded though there was a noticeable frown on her face. Well, there was practically always a frown on her face but one who knew her long enough could tell the difference between her usual frown and her thinking frown.

_Why do I have to go?_ She wondered in annoyance. _Xu is already going and she doesn't need a chaperone..._ She fought the urge to sigh. There was no reason for her to go if it was just to talk to the Mayor... they would probably be leaving as soon as possible anyways...

"Something on your mind?" The headmaster wondered, a small knowing smile on his face as if he already knew her reply.

"No, sir." She answered and his smile widened.

Schala chose to ignore it to the best of her ability. She found it annoying that someone would laugh or smile in such a situation, as if they were reading and anticipating her actions. She didn't find it amusing at all.

"Very well then, off you go." He added, obviously as a dismissing though he was still smiling.

The older man turned, setting his eyes on the banged up town as Schala saluted and turned to leave.

"Oh, and take a look around the city while you're there." He added just before she stepped into the lift.

Schala turned to face him but he did not do the same, keeping his gaze on the horizon. Her frown deepened. What possible purpose could there be in observing the town? They weren't staying for that long...

"SeeD..." Cid started again, his tone no longer amused but solemn, "is not just a special force for combat. I want you all to see the world..."

Cid closed his eyes and breathed deeply though he still wouldn't turn to face her wondering stare. He was acting more encrypting than usual.

"To broaden your horizons..." He continued almost as if he was just thinking out loud, unaware she was still in the room. "I have high expectations of you, Schala."

To that, Schala's eyes widened though no one was in a position to notice. _What... what's he going on about...?_

"Schala... our fate lies in your hands..." He added rather solemnly causing the girl to flinch.

"_Our fate..." What? How...? HUH!?!?_

Cid then turned and stared back at her. His face did not waver for a moment as he seriously observed the shock and confusion reflected on the girl's stance and face, one that rarely betrayed what was on her mind. For those three and a half seconds he said nothing, and then he laughed.

"I'm sorry. I scared you there for a second, huh?" He said with a big joking smile as Schala was just stunned.

"I was just trying to say to be careful." He added. "The people of FH are very... particular. Try not to do anything that would gain their disfavour, alright?"

"Yes, sir." Schala replied, barely recovered from her shock and turned to leave.

She was both annoyed and relieved. Annoyed at the carefree attitude and how the headmaster's words had truly scared her. She, who had never wanted to depend on others and certainly had never wanted to have others depending on her ,being placed on the spotlight where everyone depended on her... The mere possibility scared her more than having to face a ruby dragon on her own...

On the other hand she was relieved that the headmaster was so annoying and that what he said didn't have the deeper meaning she dreaded.

The lift activated and started its slow descent, causing Schala to leave the headmaster alone again as he turned once more towards the horizon. He knew it wasn't fair to place such a burden on her young shoulders, but... there was nothing else he could do...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hey Schala, what's up?" Zanya's loud voice echoed in the small hall area preceding the headmaster's office on the third floor.

Schala wasn't as surprised as she could have been to see the energetic martial artist accompanied by Rian, both apparently waiting for her. Everyone certainly felt the crash and everyone must have heard the announcement that followed and Headmaster Cid calling her up to his office. It didn't take much of a guesswork to figure out where she was. And from their posture, it seemed it was also not hard to figure out what she had been set out to do, that along with their intention of following her.

Again Schala fought the urge to sigh. It wasn't that she didn't want them to go with her, she had actually grown accustomed to their constant presence around her. It didn't annoy her as much as it had before even if she herself refused to admit it. However, the Headmaster's last words still rang in her ears…

"_Our fate lies in your hands… The people of FH are very... particular. Try not to do anything that would gain their disfavour, alright?"_

Those two were quite keen of speaking their minds, often without consulting their common sense on the way… Would they really be alright coming along?

Still and even considering she had her doubts about it, she didn't shove them away nor told them to stay. She just walked by pass them towards the lift…

And they followed.

"So, going to Fisherman's?" Zanya asked as she and Rian walked by her side.

"You know where we crashed into?" Rian wondered surprised, sparing a look at Schala to check if she was too.

If she was, she didn't show it. She didn't even slow down her pace.

"Oh yeah, I've been here before." Zanya started up again, pleased someone had shown interest. "Long time ago, with my Pops and Mum."

Schala stopped as she reached the lift and pressed the call button, barely paying attention to what the blonde woman was saying though she did register the mention of her mother. Zanya talked a lot, really a lot, but never about her mother. Schala supposed it had to be painful to speak of someone she had lost when she was so young... But what about her?

Did she mourn her parents? She didn't even remember them. Both had died when she was just a baby. She only barely remembered being in an orphanage before coming to Garden, at a young age at that. Could she miss something she never remembered having?

The elevator arrived and Schala entered, followed by Rian and Zanya, who was still talking about her family's endeavours in the fishermen's town.

"They had to come in a trading job and brought me along when I was like ten." Zanya continued. "The place hasn't changed much from what I could tell from my dorm's window. But!" She made a point to add. "Don't let its shabby looks fool ya!"

"FH actually has some pretty advanced technology lying around." She added with a smile as the lift stopped on the second floor and the three teens stepped out.

Rian merely nodded as they never slowed their pace, keeping next to Schala's as they entered the circular hall. He wasn't sure if Schala was paying any attention to what the other woman was saying. Her _"on-the-job"_ _persona_ was completely shadowing what little she had opened up in the last couple of days.

"But the people are very touchy..." Zanya continued, "Mum made one _little innocent comment_ and they practically kicked her out of town..." She mentioned, her face somewhat betraying the reliability of the _"innocent comment"_. "After that, Mum was never allowed back into town... she stayed back in Balamb with me as Pops came here. I never returned to FH till now, but its structure is unmistakable."

"Hmm." Rian let out, turning to Schala as they reached the access to the second floor's balcony. "So, what are we doing here?" He asked.

Schala showed the first sign of hearing ability by stopping and turning with her hand already on the door's handle. She passed her sharp, penetrating eyes through their faces before focusing solely on Rian.

"We're to meet with the local mayor and make an official apology for the damage to the town." Schala said in her usual, emotional tone drawing nods from the two. "Then, we are to take a look around." She added rather reluctantly.

She didn't want to observe the town, she just wanted to get it over with, but her companions didn't share her sentiment. They shared a look and a big smile showed on their features. The prospect of exploring and getting out of the Garden not only on official business raised their spirits greatly, so much Rian wasn't even taken back by Schala's obvious annoyance.

Before the two could start planning a day in the town, Schala opened the door and stepped out, them postponing their talk and following her out.

Seemed the students and personnel had heed the headmaster's words and had averted coming to the balcony and leaving Garden. Only a few SeeDs were on deck, Instructor Brandt, Nida and Xu all currently talking with some locals that had made a temporary bridge/access catwalk from the high towers still standing to the balcony itself.

"Thank you." Xu said apparently already on the end of her conversation with the tanned man in overalls that stood on the improvised catwalk.

"Don't mention it." He said to which Schala had the off sensation he meant it. "Just remember what I've told you." He added with a serious expression.

"Of course, you have nothing to worry about from us." Xu replied.

"Good." He still added before leaving towards some of his companions who were too far away to be heard.

Xu then turned and that's when she saw Schala and the others. The two groups approached and met halfway on the balcony.

"Hello you guys. The headmaster asked you to come, right?" Xu wondered receiving the girl's concordant nod. She nodded herself and continued. "I've explained our situation to the locals that came to greet us. They welcome us as long as we don't cause any sort of armed or violent disturbances. They are very strict about that." She emphasized.

Schala had no problem with that, as she was sure Rian had either. Zanya however was a slightly different case. She wasn't usually prone to violence but sometimes she could get carried away. So Schala sent a side glance to the martial artist to make sure she understood exactly what that meant. Zanya got the message clear as her blue eyes vowed to keep her temper in special check for the duration of their stay.

"We're to meet the mayor." Xu suddenly continued, cutting the teens' silent exchange. "They have already pointed us in the right direction of his house."

Noting that everyone was on the same page, she turned back to the other SeeDs on deck.

"We're going, then. Mark, you keep watch here, ok?" She said more than asked, but the bald instructor smiled in reply.

"No worries!" He replied, grabbing Nida with his thick arm around the younger man's neck, almost toppling him over. "We'll keep the area secure, no problem."

With some laughing or ignoring of the older man's antics, the three SeeDs and Rian proceeded on the improvised access catwalk and headed into town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The waters splashed violently against the pillars of the Horizon Bridge as the Galbadian Armada's warships sailed at fast pace next to them. The GENS Mars and the accompanying vessels had made good time reaching so far and they had practically FH in their sights.

The Commander travelled once again to the cargo hold where the repair of the Iron Clad was still taking course. As rudely requested, he had kept away so as to not interfere but he vouched that if the darn thing wasn't up and running after the insulting way he had been treated, he would have the engineer's head, Shinra employee or not.

However, the moment he stepped into the workshop, the roaring sound of running engines echoed all around him. He approached and saw, with some disdain, many workers, along with the engineer in question, cheering and celebrating.

"Hah, Commander. What took you so long?" The engineer commented once he saw him.

The Commander's hand twitched towards his sidearm but he kept it in check... for the time being. The time would come eventually when he would have that head on a platter.

"Finally got that piece of crap working again?" He wondered seeing the armoured tank was still in deplorable shape.

"Now, now, don't say that. You'll hurt her feelings." The engineer said jokingly, jumping off its frame and approaching. "We worked real hard on her but it paid off. She may not look like much on the outside, but her manoeuvrability and weapon systems have been completely repaired and are in absolute working order." He added, turning towards the tank.

The Commander had his doubts though. It was still dented all over and only three capacitors on top of it seemed functional.

"Short of another nuclear explosion..." The engineer continued, ignoring or simply disregarding the commander's distrust, "This baby can handle it."

"If you say so." The commander gave in... "But if there's any problem, it'll be on your head." He added, to which the engineer replied lowly:

"Ye man of little faith."

"In any case, prepare for its deployment." The Commander ordered, turning around to leave. "We'll be landing in Fisherman's Horizon shortly." He finished and left, ignoring or disregarding the mock salute of the engineer.

"Yes, sir." The man turned away from the annoying officer and back to his completed project.

It had given him a lot of work and he hadn't slept in three days, but it paid off in the end. Now all he needed was a few minimally apt people to serve as controllers for the Iron Clad. None of the soldiers on the Ship had experience with that particular MRV, so he himself would have to go along and he needed a few more to operate the controls.

"You three." The engineer called out to three soldiers somewhat covertly approaching the dark blue tank.

The soldiers froze on their tracks, tensing beneath their uniforms as they slowly turned to acknowledge the call. The engineer approached them with a determined step and an expression that made the three soldiers reach for their concealed weapons.

"Hmm..." The engineer started, observing them closely and causing them to tense further, their hands tightening their grips on their respective weapons. "You three... will have to do. Come with me."

The soldiers almost toppled over from the unexpected development but managed to keep standing on their spots. The engineer stopped and turned back with an annoyed face when he realised they weren't following.

"I said 'Come with me'." He insisted, adding gestures to the words. "I need three able people to help run the Iron Clad." He added, still looking at them as they still wouldn't move. "You seem relatively capable so you can help me... or am I wrong?" He wondered with a raised eyebrow.

The three soldiers shared a look though no one could see the others' eyes or expressions through the helmets. Still, their thoughts were as one.

_This is our chance!_

"No, sir! We're going!" The three voiced in unison and followed after him as he resumed his walk towards the armoured tank.

"Alright then," he started again with a mischievous smile, "Let's get this baby fired up!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The working towers just out of FH's boundaries followed one after the other as the SeeDs and Rian rushed through the many catwalks and platforms, passing by some curious people or workers along the way. All of them looked over at them with suspicion and a certain degree of distrust, making Schala somewhat feel like Lanara had in her latest "Dream World" experience in Winhill.

They weren't welcomed there.

She couldn't determine exactly the cause of their hostility, though it seemed to be as severe as in the dream. There was that definite distrust, but there was also apprehension. The locals back near the Garden had mentioned the prohibition of violent behaviour in town, could that be it? They were elite mercenaries, which could also be translated as violent people.

The people were pacifists and completely against violence, logically they'd be wary of those who made of violence their daily trade. Still, Fisherman's Horizon was indeed a curious place.

Rounding a particularly wide tower, the SeeDs and Rian eventually reached a large cargo lift where a tall man operated the controls. He turned as they approached, a guarded look in his eyes.

"Hey there." He greeted with masked lack of enthusiasm. "Quite an entrance you made back there, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry about that, we..." Xu started but the man dismissed her apology.

"Don't worry about it." He said. "What's important is that nobody got hurt..." He paused for a moment as if the statement wasn't completely truthful, but then he smiled and added. "We love fixing stuff anyway."

The SeeDs and Rian smiled somewhat awkwardly, except Schala of course.

"So, you're heading towards Esthar?" He assumed as it was generally the objective of most people "docking" in FH apart from traders, though they didn't look like traders to him.

"Esthar?" Zanya wondered before any other could react. "The hi-tech city, source of all advanced technology which has been secluded for almost seventeen years, Esthar?" She added.

Zanya had heard of Esthar before, mostly from her mom's worldly endeavours. It was also the origin of the latest Sorceress' Wars, lead by Sorceress Adel, a seemingly ruthless and somewhat insane ruler of Esthar. Nothing much had been heard of either for almost seventeen years.

"That's right." The lift tech replied. "Esthar is just beyond those train tracks." He added, pointing to the eastern side of the bridge.

The SeeDs and Rian's followed his signal and stared, squinting their eyes but still failing to see the end of it. The man frowned as he finally realized it.

"I guess you're not going there after all." He commented, regaining their attention. "It's just that a lot of people who come here are heading that way, but I guess it's not your case."

"No trains travel the tracks anymore anyway, so unless you have a vehicle to make the journey, it is gonna be a LONG walk, right?" He added and laughed imagining the _**days**_ one would take to make the entire journey on foot. It was crazy.

"Anyway, I've kept you long enough, I suppose you want to go on your way, whatever it is. Get on." He added as he motioned them to the lift.

The SeeDs and Rian nodded their thanks and once all of them were inside, the man activated the controls and the large platform began to slowly descend the several meters to the lower platform.

During the ride and while some still entertained thoughts of Esthar, others kept observing the town. It really looked unimpressive enough, the only caller of attention being the blinding glare coming from the solar panels at its centre. Zanya's so mentioned "advanced technology" was nowhere to be seen.

Upon reaching the bottom, the lift stopped and the SeeDs and Rian met the operator by the consol with widened eyes. How the hell did the guy upstairs get down there before they did and, if there was a faster way why couldn't they use it?

"Hey there!" the man said, even his voice sounding the same.

"Wait a sec..." Zanya was the one to comment. "How did you get down here so fast? Weren't you just up there?"

"Huh?" He let out momentarily confused before smiling widely. "Oh that. That was my brother, Carl. I'm Sean." He introduced himself cheerfully.

There was a common "Aaahhhhhhhh" voicing inside each of their heads.

"We look alike, huh?" The man commented.

One would say _exactly alike_...

"Yeah, but I'm more handsome." Sean added, obviously joking since a mirror image couldn't look more identical than the two men.

He laughed at his own inside joke. The people of FH knew those brothers well so he couldn't make those jokes with them anymore. It was fun to mess up with those kids.

"Anyway, off you go." He said as he motioned them off the lift with his smile still in place. "Anytime you want to go back up, just let me know." He added as they moved away, Xu thanking his courtesy with a soft bow.

That particular young man didn't seem so unfriendly to them as all the other locals they'd encountered thus far. Seemed like there were nice people in town after all.

"Man, that was wicked..." Zanya commented and the others could do nothing but agree, until...

"You there!" They heard a familiar voice calling out and stopped in the middle of the wide catwalk, looking to the side where they had to just stare.

"You're SeeDs, aren't you? From Balamb Garden back there..." A man who was identical in every visible way to the two brothers operating the lift, Carl and Sean, said looking at them with an obviously accusatory glare.

"... Yes." Some answered while the others just nodded, all aware of his obvious dislike, so unlike the last brother, especially when his stare darkened with their reply.

As the SeeDs were considering the possibility and high probability of them being triplets, the man continued.

"I heard that you guys are, like, mercenaries, and basically fight anybody for money." He commented, leaning on the rails and staring off as if they weren't even there. "Are you happy with that kind of life?"

Schala frowned and she wasn't the only one. Zanya was visibly upset with his words and were it not for a glance in her way, she would surely had jumped on the guy. Was that what he wanted? Pick a fight? Make a point?

Like Schala, Xu seemed to have reached the same conclusion. It wasn't the first time they were faced with that kind of reaction though it wasn't that common either. Pacifist that believed everything could be resolved with conversation and civility and that violence only caused more violence. Well, that last part wasn't completely untruth though it was rather utopic.

"There you are, Brian!" The same voice came from behind them, making Zanya actually wonder about the possibility of ventriloquism.

They turned and saw Sean, the second lift operator/twin coming towards them. Not towards them, in fact it seemed he was addressing...

"The heck you doing there, slacking off?" Sean continued with the - obvious now - third brother, who seemed to barely be paying attention. "They need assistance in the north tower, you were supposed to be there an hour ago."

Only then did Sean seem to notice the SeeDs were also still there and that they seemed engaged in conversation with his brother. He felt a chill for a second there. Brian's distaste for mercenaries was well known, making the elders look like fan girls in comparison. No good could come of a continued interaction.

"C'mon, leave those folks to their business, you've got work to do." Sean added and turned to leave, hoping it would stay at that

"Hmpf." He let out, looking after his brother before sending a disregarding glance in the SeeDs' way. "Never mind." Brian chuckled unamused, shaking his head and leaning off the railings. "The way you live your life is none of my business. Just don't cause any problems in town." He added and left towards the lift and his clones.

"Tch, what an as..." Zanya grumbled.

"Zanya!" Xu stopped her, sighing afterwards. "Everyone has the right to their opinion, even if we don't like it.

"I suppose..." Rian commented, looking at Schala as she stared back at the retreating man who was barely visible anymore.

The way he had spoken, it sounded a lot like her. _Your life, your problems are none of my business..._ she recalled often thinking and even saying it. It really didn't sound very nice. No wonder she was met with such upset faces every time she said it.

"Schala, let's go." Zanya called out, ignoring the sudden realization going on inside the brunette woman.

Schala nodded and followed after them as they had already reached a path off the catwalk and were suddenly blinded by a powerful glare.

"Woah!" Zanya let out, leaning on the railings and looking down at the large circular garden of solar panels, each and everyone catching the reflected sunlight on its surface.

"This is awesome!" She cheered, leaning so much she almost twirled over it.

"Those are solar panels, right?" Rain wondered looking at their mirror like surface.

"You bet!" Zanya confirmed, returning her feet to the ground. "The whole town is powered by these babies. Renewable clean energy running through all their houses... and no electrical bill at the end of the week either. "She made a point to add.

"It really is an impressive sight..." Xu commented lowly.

She had been more silent than her usual self ever since their arrival at Garden. Schala supposed she still had to be worried about the others whose fate was still unknown... mostly, Quentin. She frowned as she pulled the reins on her thoughts. That was none of her business or concern. Why did she think about it in the first place?

"Is that the mayor's house?" Rian wondered as only then did he notice the shabby looking two floor house standing on the platform in the centre of the solar panels.

"Must be..." Zanya commented, stopping as Xu, already recovered from her momentary melancholy, stepped forward.

"Let's go." She said and without another word, started her way there with the other two SeeDs and Rian following closely.

They crossed the radius of the shiny disk swiftly and approached the unstable looking structure. It actually looked worse up close than it had before but Zanya still looked excited. With Xu on the lead, they knocked on the half opened door and entered to a small hallway.

They were surprised to verify some truth to what the martial artist had insisted on since the beginning. The interior wasn't crude as the exterior. Though the décor was somewhat eccentric, the interior itself was solid and of good built. The expression "Never judge a book by its cover" never felt more accurate to the young people before or since.

Without warning and while the SeeDs and Rian were admiring the room, a woman around her mid fifties, with long blond hair tied up in a messy bun and wide colourful clothes, came down a set of unstable looking but surprisingly sturdy stairs.

"You're the SeeDs, right?" She asked without ceremony or the least bit of delicacy.

Rian and Zanya were surprised and slightly irritated by her rudeness but a glance their way silenced any comment they might be thinking on making. They were surprised as Schala and Xu didn't seem outraged by the woman's behaviour, the two SeeDs hadn't even reacted.

"Yes, we are." Xu replied with the utmost courtesy. "We'd like to speak to the mayor."

The woman stared at the four youngsters with the same degree of scrutiny and obvious dislike that most of the people they had encountered on their way there had displayed. SeeD's way of life must be really offensive to those people.

"Upstairs." She said simply, disappearing in that direction without another word.

"Man, what a..." Zanya started but was timely interrupted... again.

"Zanya!" Xu cut her off. "We are guests in this town and we've destroyed half of it on our arrival." She made a point to add.

"They don't need to be so rude to us, though..." Rian commented and Xu was about to reply but Schala beat her to it.

"It doesn't matter." She said as though she was used to that type of reception or she just didn't care for it. "We're here to ask for their help and understanding. So don't do anything to offend them, no matter what they do or say." She added.

Though Rian still felt the need to say something, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Zanya, who by far had a more rickety temper than he had, was smiling reassuringly, as if also telling him not to say anything else. It was the first time that he saw and realised the energetic martial artist had had the same training as the serious gunblader.

So he nodded in agreement, vowing to bite his tongue to the best of his ability as Xu nodded as well.

"Alright, let's head up." She said and the four climbed the stairs calmly.

The second floor room was just about as wide as the bottom one and with the same kind of peculiar decoration. They also noted there were no chairs for one to sit on. The only pieces of furniture were a small table in the middle of the room and an even smaller side table by the back. In front of them and sitting on an array of large and colourful pillows spread all over the floor, was an older man, also probably in his late fifties, wearing equally wide and colourful clothes, with long gray hair tied up in a ponytail. There was a still smoking, odd looking pipe resting in his right hand and the room had a strange scent about it. The woman that had '_greeted_' them knelt beside him with the same glare in her eyes.

"Please have a seat." The man said much more politely than his consort, as he gestured for them to sit on the simple-looking pillows

The party sat on the several pillows, some rather awkwardly since they weren't used to sitting on the floor. Schala and Xu acted as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Allow me to get to the point." The mayor started before any of them could even utter a word. "When are you leaving?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Throughout the GENS Mars as well as through the smaller vessels surrounding it, an announcement filled the air and the ears of the many soldiers and remaining crew.

"ATENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE'LL BE ARRIVING AT F.H. SHORTLY! GET TO BATTLE STATIONS AND PREPARE TO DEPLOY... I REPEAT..."

In the cargo hold of the largest ship of the formation, the message halted abruptly as the Shinra engineer pressed the off button in the communication panel inside the Iron Clad's cabin.

"We heard ya the first time... Everyone did." He huffed with annoyance. "Typical military... do everything by the book..." He complained out loud to the three other occupants of the room.

It was obvious that the man, Richards, according to the name tag in his overall, disliked the military and its strict procedures, to the point the three youngsters wearing the soldiers' uniforms had to wonder what he was doing there in the first place.

Still, there was no denying that he was very bright and thorough with his work, despite its eccentricity. He was constantly hovering over every panel and control, checking every reading and adjusting every knob, that he made it impossible for the disguised SeeDs to perform even the smallest act of sabotage. They knew firsthand how the heavy MRV was troublesome and setting it loose on the peaceful people of F.H. could result in disaster.

They couldn't allow that to happen. Their only chance now was to wait for an opening once they were out of the ship. While on the inside, blasting their way out seemed rather impractical... however, when they deployed into the field they could spring into action.

Without exchanging a word between them, the SeeDs planned to take over the large blue tank's controls once they were free of the confinements of the cargo hold of the GENS Mars.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Rian and Zanya were visibly taken aback by the directness of the older man, but held their tongues. They had to wonder why the locals were so hostile to their presence. It wasn't as if they planned to crash there, it was an accident and they had done nothing to those people to warrant such rude behaviour.

Schala and Xu, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. It wasn't that they weren't surprised, practically all of the locals had reacted like that towards them, but it was still unexpected.

"We'll depart as soon as the Garden is capable of moving." Xu took the lead, speaking calmly and with a perfectly polite tone.

"Any idea when that might be?" The Mayor insisted, keeping his tone equally civilized.

Schala resisted a frown, act not shared by Rian and Zanya. His behaviour was really starting to tick them off. Were they so eager to get rid of them? Why? What did they have against them? They had done nothing wrong... on purpose, anyways.

Despite the urge both shared to voice their complaints, a side glance from Schala cut them short as Xu continued.

"Unfortunately, no." She admitted. "We only uncovered our Garden's mobility a short while ago."

"We don't even know how to move it, or stop it for that matter..." She added, fact quite obvious considering the path of destruction caused on arrival. "We're still trying to understand everything."

The mayor paused, lowering his eyes in thought for a few moments. He seemed to be somewhat debating with himself about something. After a while he raised his head and focused on the kneeling women before him, mainly Schala and Xu.

"Our technicians will assist you." He started again. "They should be able to repair your Garden and also make so that you are able to manoeuvre it properly." He added, hinting to the destructive consequences coming from failure to do so in the past.

This time Schala failed to conceal her frown. Allowing outsiders inside Garden, even if they came to their aid, was out of her authority. Not even Xu could make such a decision without consulting the headmaster.

"I will relay your offer, if you don't mind." Xu replied carefully. "I'm afraid I don't have that level of authority."

"I understand." He commented, nodding slightly before adding. "If you could do so as quickly as possible..."

"Certainly." Xu replied and, taking the cue, started to stand up to leave.

Schala rose as well, with a stiffer Zanya that seemed all too willing to punch somebody in the face. A glance fixed that, but Rian wasn't as easily swayed as he made no effort to stand up.

"Excuse me." He started and Schala had to use all of her restrain not to reach her hand over his mouth.

All attention was suddenly on the young man but he didn't cave under the silencing stares of the SeeDs.

"Why do you want us to leave so badly?" He asked in a polite tone that betrayed some anxiety.

"Rian, that's enough!" Xu almost shouted, barely keeping her tone in check.

They had come under chaotic circumstances and didn't want to antagonize, any further at least, the people of the town they almost completely destroyed. Rian's behaviour could very well jeopardize the little favour they had with these people.

"But..." Rian started, facing Xu suddenly with determined eyes.

He might not go along with everything the SeeDs did, cold mercenary tasks and all, but still it was no reason for them to be treated so discourteously.

He looked at Schala and was neither disappointed nor surprised to see the same _"shut up"_ expression on her face. She didn't refuse his coming along even knowing something like that could happen. It was her responsibility and hence her fault if he ruined everything...

"That's alright, I'll explain it to you." The mayor's voice cut through the SeeDs' thoughts as once again, all eyes fell on him.

He stared at Rian with a solemn expression as he took a breath of his pipe. The SeeDs were thankful enough, he didn't seem offended by Rian's sudden query. As he set his pipe down, he actually seemed determined to make it clear, the reason for them not being welcomed there.

"We don't want military organizations of any kind here in FH." He said, his tone calm but unwavering.

Rian was slightly taken back by his directness though the SeeDs weren't so easily impressed. They expected something like that.

The mayor breathed once again from his strange pipe before continuing.

"Military people rely on force to solve problems, no matter how trite. They are easy to use their weapons when there is no need and easily resort to violent behaviour." He continued and then emphatically added "That is in direct defiance of our principles."

"We believe that any problems can be settled by discussion." The woman that, since the beginning of their conversation, had remained silent and still, sitting behind the mayor, said abruptly, never once attempting to hide her contempt.

"Whichever the case, it is possible to reach a mutual understanding through dialogue, there is no need to fight." She added, all but glaring at the SeeDs.

If all matters could be settled by conversation, there would be no need of violence. _Wouldn't that be nice?_ Schala thought, if there was no need for violence or fighting. However, when the side holding the gun isn't willing to talk, what else can one do?

Not to mention they would be all without a job...

"Violence only leads to more violence, it is a never-ending cycle." The mayor continued. "We believe that your presence here will attract violence and we don't want it here."

"And that is why we want you to leave as soon as possible."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The waters seemed peaceful around FH's vicinity, though it was just an apparent calmness.

Suddenly, coming from in between the Horizon Bridge's pillars, several small Galbadian attack vessels skidded sideways, heading straight towards the many working towers surrounding the town. With increased manoeuvrability, all ships avoided contact with the wide and thin structures, coming closer to the town itself.

As the small vessels all but docked around the many vacant piers near the abandoned train station plaza, the massive form of the GENS Mars stormed underneath the Horizon Bridge, skimming into a hard turn as it aimed for the same destination as its smaller counterparts. The front of the large attack vessel shimmered in the reflected sun light on the bulky structure of the long attack cannons which moved with an ominous slowness.

There was a flash followed by a loud BANG as fire erupted from the cannons and several towers collapsed, many toppling down by the sheer force of the blast. With its path cleared of the larger obstacles, the GENS Mars advanced over the harbour town, slowing as it approached the large docking area near the plaza.

The ground surrounding the otherwise empty square, was already packed with soldiers that, with their weapons ready and itchy trigger-fingers, awaited the arrival of the commanding ship.

As it swiftly settled, from the Galbadian battleship many other soldiers disembarked, joining the rest as they made way for their commanding officer, Commander Crais.

"Spread out, soldiers!" He shouted to the masses of soldiers that had just barely stood in line. "Search everywhere and gather here everyone that you find." He shouted out and, with a joint yell and salute, the soldiers prepared to comply, starting to scatter.

"Find the girl, Ellone." He added, shouting for the few who could still hear him in all the commotion. "Our Sorceress demands it!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ma-an! That old geezer really pissed me off!" Zanya moaned as the SeeDs and Rian left the aforementioned mayor's house.

It had taken all in the martial artist's might not to blow off inside the house, knowing that she would get into a heap of trouble and that Schala would kill her if she had. Still, his behaviour really ticked her off.

"Even respecting his beliefs, they could have been more courteous..." Rian contributed.

After hearing the Mayor's explanations, the woman had all but shooed them out the door. That was no way of treating people.

"Schala, you should have told him off! Why didn't ya?" Zanya continued her rant, barely realising what she was saying.

"What good would it do if I had?" Schala simply replied, surprising enough since she would usually just ignore her.

"Well, I'd feel better!" Zanya commented, gaining a muffled chuckle from Rian and causing Schala to roll her eyes.

"That's enough." Xu stressed, her temper also about to overflow though none could say for sure if it was due to the mayor's behaviour or Zanya's loud rant. "Let's just go back to Garden." She added. "We have a lot to report to the headmaster."

They were already almost at the top of the solar panel disk when, suddenly, a loud commotion could be heard from nearby.

Covering the remaining steps with large strides, the SeeDs and Rian reached the top and were stunned with what they saw. There was smoke coming from bellow town, accompanied with terrified screams and... gunfire!?

_What'a...?_

"They're here!" They managed to distinguish the cry as one of the townsfolk ran towards them in an almost blind panic.

The SeeDs stared at the frightened man. Regaining his breath, he continued before they even had the chance to ask who was there.

"Galbadian soldiers are attacking the town!!!"

_... What!?!?_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Cid stood from his chair - one of the few surviving items in what remained from when the bridge irrupted from the ground a few days ago - toppling it over, before nearing the windows of his high office to look over to the side from where a large explosion had just occurred.

Just like everyone else inside the Garden and out, he could only wonder what was happening to cause such a commotion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Galbadian soldiers? Here?" The mayor's suddenly heard voice made most teens jump from surprise as they hadn't notice his arrival.

The usually tanned, old man seemed to have lost all colour and was now as white as a blank sheet.

"Why are they here?" The mayor's wife, or secretary... or whatever, wondered as she followed after him.

"I don't know, but they're armed... Big time!" The frightened man continued. "They are ransacking the town and gathering the people in the plaza."

"They seem to be looking for something or someone." He added and immediately the woman's harsh green eyes focused on the listening SeeDs.

She obviously assumed they were the reason the galbadians had attacked. If only they weren't there... As she had feared, their presence had brought forth disaster.

"We can't panic... or jump to conclusions." The mayor said, knowing of his companion's thoughts. "I will go talk to them." He added as he stepped forwards.

"President Deling and I are acquaintances, I'm sure we can work this out..."

"President Deling is dead." Schala's voice was heard above the distant but approaching turmoil.

All turned towards her as she looked at the mayor with penetrating but sincere eyes. Her SeeD mode was activating.

"Sorceress Edea killed him less than a week ago." She continued. "Everything in Galbadia is under her control now."

The mayor seemed to hesitate for a moment. Unknowingly to the SeeDs and Rian, he more than many, knew the results of a sorceress in control of a nation. It was in similar circumstances that the people of FH had abandoned their homes and settled in that locale.

"A sorceress is still a person." The woman insisted, though the fear and doubt in her voice was clearly detectable. "I'm sure we can reach an understanding... Right?"

The question could have been rhetorical, but her face turned towards Schala who had spoken last. She stared back with a frown. From what she had seen, the sorceress barely seemed human, less alone a person... How could she know?

There was a moment of silence only disturbed by the echoes of the chaos that assaulted the town below. It lasted only a couple of seconds as everyone was deep within their own thoughts. But one could not hold it in any longer.

"It's your fault!" The woman's voice shrieked in panic as she openly pointed at the SeeDs. "They're here because of you, they're after you!"

Schala and Xu, who had remained still till then, looked away. It was possible... heck, with their trek record, it was more than likely. Though it was strange that they could get there so fast considering that there was no way of knowing Balamb Garden would be heading that way.

"Why you...!" Zanya glared in outrage.

"Wait a minute, we just..." Rian tried but the old lady would have none of it.

"You better take responsibility for this!" She spat out. "You better..."

"That's enough, Flo!" The mayor shouted, halting everyone on their tracks and just in time too.

Zanya and even Xu had not appreciated the woman's tone, no matter the situation. All SeeDs had already considered the possibility of dealing with the soldiers and were willing to do so, especially allowing for the chance they were responsible for their presence. But the mayor's shout had cut them short.

"But, Dobe..." Flo started but Mayor Dobe continued.

"We mustn't rely on them." He said assuredly but not accusingly. "They won't be able to do anything without fighting, and I will not have bloodshed in my home." He said as he stepped forwards, determination coming out of every pore in his being.

Schala nearly jumped at the realization. _He wouldn't..._

"I'll go talk to them." He said it.

_He's dead..._ Schala sorely admitted. There was no way that they could be reasoned with, no matter what he said. It was a suicide mission.

Still, no one made any attempt to stop him as he advanced with a hurried step down the street. Not even Flo moved, taking a couple of seconds and then walking back to the house.

"That old fart is gonna get himself killed." Zanya commented.

Even though the blonde didn't fancy the man, human sacrifice made her uncomfortable. It was Rian who talked first.

"We gotta stop him, help him!" He insisted, stepping in front of the girls with all intention of following after him.

"He doesn't want our help." Xu interjected.

She had kept quiet but couldn't let them get into trouble. If their help wasn't requested, there was nothing they could do, right? After all, SeeDs followed orders and they had been told to stay away.

"We can't just let him and the people here die, Xu." Rian insisted. "It's not right! Especially when we can do something to stop it."

"Yeah, let's crack some skulls!" Zanya cheered.

Hyne knew she was itching for a fight, the mayor himself had seen fit to get her pumped. She was more than eager to let out her rage onto some poor couple a hundred g-soldiers.

Still, Xu stepped around them so she stood in front.

"We have no right to go against him in his own town." She wouldn't let it go either. "He's made his decision. Our job is to report back to the headmaster."

Xu insisted, falling back to her training, the training of a SeeD... How she hated it sometimes. There was nothing she wanted more than to forsaken everything and chase after the one thing that mattered, the most important thing in her heart. But she just couldn't do it. She was a SeeD, who was she to disobey orders?

_Following orders, that's what we do._ Schala thought. _Headmaster Cid said it himself, we were not to go against the people of the town_. _We have to respect their wills and their ways... _

_As SeeDs we have to obey, even if we don't like it._

"But..." Rian still wasn't dissuaded from his resolve. He couldn't just stay there while the people were being slaughtered.

_Can I?_

"No, it's not out call." Xu continued to stand in their way.

_These people have nothing to do with me anyways._

"Schala!" Rian suddenly turned to her, not noticing she was locked in her own little, troubled world and barely registering her surroundings.

_After all, I don't care about things that have nothing to do with me, so I don't care about these people either._

"Oh, c'mon!" Zanya joined in on Rian's side. It was not just about getting into a fight, it really never truly was just about that. Her parents had thought her better than sitting around while others got hurt.

_I don't care... right?_

"Zanya!" Xu focused on the martial artist as she too turned against her. Well, the blonde wasn't like her, she was always impulsive enough as to disregard orders but that was just her. Xu wouldn't allow her to go that far.

_I'm a SeeD._

"Schala, you can't just..." Rian had changed his target too. If Schala would back them up they could do this. No matter how hard core a SeeD she was, he refused to believe she would allow for such a slaughter.

_And SeeDs follow orders._

"Rian, no!" Xu persisted. She couldn't allow it, and she knew Schala would be against it too, there was no point in trying to sway her... She would never go against orders...

_As a SeeD, I can't change it... right?_

"Schala!" Zanya called out.

_The hell I can't!_

"Schala!"

"I know!" Schala's voice suddenly rose above the others and for a moment they couldn't even hear the ruckus of the town. "... I know." She repeated more calmly.

She opened her eyes, she had instinctively closed in thought. The look in her stormy blue eyes shone with an intense determination that surprised everyone around her and especially the senior SeeD as they focused on her.

"Xu..." She simply said. There was no need for words anyways. Her resolve was more than clear in her gaze.

_Schala... even you?_ Xu couldn't help but be stunned. Schala was the epitome of allegiance, she always followed her orders no matter how insane or suicidal, no matter how trite or annoying. She never faltered and never hesitated.

But her eyes just now, they had changed. No matter the reason, Schala was going to disobey her orders, she was choosing for herself what to do. Xu didn't think that even Quentin could have predicted such a change. She was growing above a foot soldier's mentality... she was becoming a leader.

"Hmpf." She let out, lowering her head to conceal her smile.

_Quentin would have loved to be here for this..._

"Guess it can't be helped." Xu's statement caught Zanya and Rian by surprise as she finally caved. "Seems like I'm outnumbered in this. Oh ,well... Let's do it, then." She added though the others could tell she wasn't as put out as she made it sound.

"Alright, let's hurry." Rian let out, making to rush towards the hectic town.

"Not you, Rian."

Schala's voice, but mostly her words hit Rian like a bucket of cold water, freezing him in place so much that he could barely turn to face her. Her poker face was back on as she stared back at him with intense blue-gray eyes.

"What? No!" He snapped. There was no way, no way... "You can't let me out of it this time." He stressed but she remained as calm as ever.

"Rian..." She started and caught him by surprise.

Her voice... it was just like that time in the headmaster's office when she asked him to stay behind, so that he would be safe. It was such a soft voice, Rian didn't know how to fight it.

"I want you to go back to Garden..." He knew she would ask him that... ", and bring reinforcements."

_What?_ That surprised him.

"But..." He let out, unsure.

"There are too many soldiers." Schala continued. "Just us won't be enough to keep the people safe. We need backup."

She was worried about protecting the people. For someone with such a fame of being unsociable and rude, she really cared about others... even strangers who had treated her poorly.

Another Schala's puzzle piece was then handed on a platter to him. Just when he thought he was almost reaching the end of the puzzle he realised it had more pieces than he could have ever imagined.

"But..."

Why did he have to do it...? Why could he never be by her side in situations like these...?

"I need you to do this, Rian." She added.

That was a low blow, Xu thought. It was more than obvious what the young man felt for Schala. With her speaking like that, there was no way he could refuse. It might be true that they needed backup in order to dispose of the soldiers with the least number of casualties among the local population, but Xu also knew that Schala just wanted Rian out of harm's way, and theirs.

"... Fine." Rian reluctantly cave in. He couldn't fight Schala when she got like that.

Schala nodded in both thanks and reassurance. She knew he would get the job done, and in doing so he would be safe.

"Alright, let's go." Schala let out and started running towards the town, followed by Xu and an excited Zanya.

"Yeah!"

The martial artist's cry reached Rian as he observed the three girls heading towards battle, once more leaving him behind. But he wasn't going to let things stay like that. No. He hurried towards the lift, hoping the twin brothers operating were still there so he could return to Garden as soon as possible and then join the reinforcements in taking back the town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright, people! Clear the docking bay!" The shout echoed in the busy wide chamber in the bowels of the GENS Mars as the large blast doors opened to give passage to the Galbadians' last ultimate weapon.

The Iron clad's engines roared as it exited the battleship through a side passage, landing heavily on the wooden planks of FH's docks. The floor almost crumbled with the sheer weight and strength of the impact, giving in and splashing water all around as it roughly withstood the blow.

After the fear of the possibility of the heavy armoured tank ending up in the bottom of the ocean passed, the engines kicked in and the large structure of the Iron Clad advanced through the weak pathway, breaking and crumbling half of it on its trail. It would soon join the attack, meaning little hope for the habitants of Fisherman's Horizon remained.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"AAAHHHHHH!!" The screams of the people mingled with the rough sound of gunfire as the SeeDs arrived downtown.

There were several houses at their left with the doors hanging off their hinges and sounds of confusion from the insides. The town was a mess, there were soldiers everywhere, but despite the commotion, there didn't seem to be any casualties among the civilians.

As far as they could determine, the people weren't fighting back so they gave no reason for the soldiers to use force. The chaos and destruction was just due to their rotten behaviour.

No wonder the people didn't like them, the galbadians made all militaries look bad with the way they acted.

The SeeDs caught sight of some townsfolk being practically dragged ahead of their positions and made to follow, but a cry from their right stopped Schala in her tracks.

There was a small dock with a couple of stores there, but what caught their eyes was about a half dozen soldiers harassing a child with a fishing pole and an old man.

"Let go of me!" The fisherkid cried out as one of the soldiers grabbed him by the collar and kept him high so his feet dangled above the wooden floor. "I'm not afraid of you! Put me down!"

"Damn, this brat can't stay still." The soldier commented with a sadistic laugh, carrying the boy at arms' length since he started kicking him... well, trying at least.

"Maybe we should teach him some manners." Another soldier added, approaching them menacingly.

"Leave the kid alone, you bunch of ruffians!" The old man cried out, being smacked at the back of his head by one of the soldiers restraining him.

"Shut it, ya old fart!" The other one said as he kicked him onto the floor.

The man dropped down on his knees but still managed to glare at the soldiers with lecturing eyes. That was no way to treat children or the elderly.

"Just leave us alone!" He said loudly, noticing two of the other soldiers hassling the kid as a couple others just observed, amused.

"I said: Shut it!" The soldier repeated, bringing the butt of his riffle up to hit him.

The soldier swung but suddenly found himself barehanded. He looked up in time to see an angered grin and the butt of his own gun smacking him square in the face, probably breaking his nose in the process. His companion, the soldier that was also near the old man, couldn't even react as that same gun was suddenly thrust into his chest. Confused, he did nothing to defend against the series of kicks and punches that rendered him immobile in three seconds flat.

The two soldiers that stood a bit to the side witnessed what happened with their partners and were readying to intervene, bringing their own riffles up to shoot the strange blond guy that had just shown up, but found themselves suddenly occupied.

Silvery small tridents shimmered in front of their eyes, bringing one of the men's guns down as a swift elbow contacted with the other man's helmet, shattering its visor. Xu twirled around the first soldier, stabbing her other sai into his gun as she used the first to slash across his chest. The soldier fell as his partner recovered, throwing his damaged helmet away but didn't get too close as Xu impeded his attack with a timely kick in the face, elbow in the gut and slash in the face, falling the second man.

Meanwhile, the two soldiers harassing the kid hadn't even the time to realise what had befallen their companions when they found troubles of their own. The one holding the kid up found himself forced to release him as a gush of blood and pain coursed through his slashed arm. He stepped back, suddenly staring into furious stormy eyes and such was his surprise, that he didn't even raise his arms to protect himself from the second slash to his stomach. The other soldier, though also caught by surprise, managed to bring his gun up at the unexpected intervenient but got about one shot fired as a swift gunblade forced his arm up and smacked him with the butt of the revolver, slashing downwards through his chest.

Schala straightened up, seeing her companions had already dealt with the remaining threat before checking on the boy. Apart from a sore bottom from falling abruptly, he didn't seem hurt and she noticed the old man Zanya was currently tending to also seemed unharmed.

"That was awesome." The child let out to the surprise of the gunblader that reacted with a small smile without realising it.

"Is he ok?" Xu wondered as she jogged to her side. The kid was still sitting on the ground, which made her worried, but noticed on arrival he seemed fine enough.

The kid rose immediately, coolly dusting his clothes.

"I could have handled them!" He said and didn't recoil with the look the two women send his way. "But... thanks." He added before running off to the old man's side.

"Cheeky kid." Xu let out though amusedly.

Whatever doubts she might have had about doing the right thing by disobeying orders were gone with the conscience of those soldiers. Hyne knew what could have happened to those two if they had taken a minute more to show up. It was rewarding.

Schala, however, had never a doubt in her mind about what she was doing right now.

The two women joined the third of their squad by the entrance of the old man's shop, whom seemed to have recovered enough to engage in an argument with the kid.

"That was lame, gramps." The kid let out, half jokingly. "letting them hustle you like that..."

"Hmpf... No lamer than being held by his collar, kicking air." The old man retorted, making the kid blush and the man, smile.

"H-Hey...!"

"The two seem fine now." Zanya commented, standing up with an expression that betrayed half amusement, half seriousness. Well, 70/30...

"We need to hurry and find the mayor." Xu said, turning to the two rescued locals that had lost focus on the girls again and had resumed their argument.

"Hey, you two." She called out, breaking their discussion again. "Where's this plaza, the place where they're taking the rest of the villagers?" She asked them.

The young and the old shared a momentary look before turning to the SeeDs and raising their arms in unison, pointing to further inside the town.

The SeeDs followed their sign then looked at each other. With a consensual nod, the three hurried towards the provided direction.

"Who were those three women?" The old man wondered aloud as both watched them run away.

"Dunno." The young one admitted. "But they were cool." He commented.

The old man tore his gaze onto the kid, suddenly hitting him at the back of his head.

"Ouch!"

"The hell do you know about cool, ya dirty brat?" The old man let out.

"More than you, I'm sure, ya old geezer!" He retorted as the two resumed their argument...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Now calm down, you guys." Nida tried to say to the cadets that had suddenly stormed the entrance of the second floor balcony in wonder of what the sudden commotion in town was about.

The tumult had become so loud that even inside the Garden it could be heard.

"Get back inside!" Mark's thundering voice sounded well above just about everything else around them, resulting in a temporary calm.

"We don't know what's going on, but you should really go back inside." Nida, who recovered first from Instructor Brandt's outburst, told them.

The students began again to protest but a sudden calling made everyone quiet down.

"Mark! Nida!" Rian shouted as he ran down the catwalk and into the balcony.

"Rian, what..." Nida started but could not compete with the raging tone of his fellow SeeD.

"What the hell is going on?" Mark asked and silence ruled over the balcony again, with only the noise of the town's ruckus in the background.

"The Galbadians have attacked the town..." Rian forced himself to continue despite the surprised, scared or outraged cries of his audience. "Schala and the others went to assist the mayor, but they need reinforcements... As in, NOW!" He emphasized causing a new uproar.

"And we will provide it." Silence reigned as the cadets and SeeDs parted way to let passage to Headmaster Cid that had just come out the access door.

"Headmaster!" Mark reacted as Rian smiled.

Cid was a very kind man. Rian knew he couldn't just allow for the town to be taken over without intervening.

"Mark." Cid continued. "Gather three squadrons quickly and take them to town." He ordered and immediately the instructor started pointing and calling several students and SeeDs in the audience to form the teams.

Cid approached Rian as he regained his breath.

"Our priority is to protect the townsfolk." He added. "You should head back inside, Rian. It's safer there."

It didn't sound like a request, but Rian didn't care. Not this time.

"Not this time." He emphasized, suddenly standing straighter. "This time I'm going to help too."

Cid stared at the determination reflected in the young man's deep brown eyes. The youths of his generation kept surprising him. No, he couldn't stop him that time.

"Alright." He resigned. "Go with Mark and be careful. Mark!" He called out.

The instructor that, surprisingly fast, had already organized the curious folk into several apparently balanced teams, turned to face the headmaster.

"I'm leaving this one in your care." He said, referring not only to Rian but the situation at hand. "Be safe and do your job."

"Yes, Sir!" They all replied.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

All around the usually, but not since early that morning, peaceful town of FH, chaos continued to ensue. In front of the abandon station, most of the town's population had been gathered and forced to a corner of the plaza while in its centre, Mayor Dobe tried to talk with Commander Crais, the ranking officer of the troops, but to no avail.

"Please, we have done nothing against the Galbadian Empire." The mayor said in a somewhat cowering voice. He didn't want to antagonize them for fear of retaliation. "Why have you attacked us?"

"Hmpf." The commander let out. "It's not that we really need a reason." He said, making a shiver run down the older man's spine.

He was all too familiar with that kind of attitude. The one reason that made him and his people leave Esthar...

"But if you must know..." The commander continued. "We are looking for someone..."

The mayor tensed again. Could it be true, were they after the SeeDs?

"We're looking for a girl called Ellone. She might be hiding somewhere around here." Commander Crais said, looking around the frightened villagers.

"Ellone? There is nobody here by that name." Dobe admitted.

As far as he knew, there was indeed no one by that name in FH. Sure, there was the possibility that this girl could be part of those that had came with Garden, but wouldn't the soldiers mention the SeeDs if she was? They actually seemed unaware of their presence there.

"There's no point in lying." The commander said with a smirk. "We'll find her."

"I'm not lying, there is no Ellone here!" Dobe insisted, trying to convince him.

If he believed that Ellone wasn't there, they might leave.

"You may search our homes, we're not hiding anyone."

"Oh, we'll do that even if you hadn't given your permission." The commander sneered. "We'll turn this town upside down if we have to." He added.

It was then that the SeeDs finally reached the party, and they didn't like what they saw. The place was too open, the soldiers could detect their approach if they weren't careful so they were forced to seek cover behind a building in the outline of the square. There were many soldiers, even considering the ones they dispatched on their way there. They could see several vessels and a large battleship on the other side. No wonder their numbers were so big.

On the bright side, the villagers were all gathered in a corner curiously enough far from the armed guard. Seemed the soldiers didn't expect any resistance from them. That could work to their advantage. In the middle of the plaza, Mayor Dobe was discussing with whom they could only assume was the commanding officer of the galbadians. That was both good and bad, but if they could catch him, they could probably turn the tables to their favour.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Zanya whispered as to not attract the attention of the soldiers.

If they didn't catch them by surprise, an attack could go wrong really fast.

"Schala's right." Xu murmured though Schala hadn't said anything yet, but she could tell what her plan was. "We can't just charge in without knowing the full situation." She added.

"The mayor is still talking with their leader, we should wait to see if anything happens." Xu insisted.

"What, you actually thing that old fart can convince the galbadians to retreat?" Zanya doubtfully suggested.

Schala agreed with that. The soldiers wouldn't leave quietly. She was even more surprised that they actually seemed to be talking. They usually wouldn't go to the trouble. If only she could...

"Well, no..." Xu admitted. "You never kno..." She tried to add under the disbelieved look of the martial artist, but was cut off.

"Shut up." Schala told them. "I'm trying to listen."

They quieted down, straining their ears so they could listen to what they were saying.

"I already told you." The Mayor insisted, almost begged. "I've never heard of this girl, Ellone. She's not here."

_Ellone?_ Schala's eyes widened at the mention of that name.

"Ok, I believe you." The commander said, smirking at the relief he saw in the older man's face.

Xu had to restrain Zanya from jumping in. Even she could tell he was lying. Schala however, was immersed in her thoughts. Ellone again. Why and why there?

"We'll just torch this city and smoke her out." The commander laughed as the old man's colour vanished from his face. "How does that sound? Hahah" He laughed again over the panicked screams of the detained villagers.

"Why, that bastard..." Zanya was barely hanging on, forcing Xu to almost pin her in place.

"Calm down, Zanya!" She stressed. "It's not the time, yet."

Schala was confused. Could they have known Ellone was inside Balamb Garden? They were looking for Ellone but didn't mention the Garden. Weren't they after them after all?

Who was Ellone after all?

"Wait a minute! I'm telling the truth! I've never seen this girl!" The mayor was now in full panic mode.

Burn the town? He never wanted that to happen...

"It doesn't matter, old man." The commander admitted, sending him a pitiful look. "We're gonna burn down this place anyway. It's our Sorceress' orders." He informed, laughing sadistically, enjoying the horror splashed on the townsfolk's faces.

"Schala!" Zanya called out as low as she could muster in her state of mind, but the brunette needed no encouragement.

"No, please! I beg of you! Don't!" The mayor crawled, grabbing the man's boots in utter despair.

"Shut up!" The commander shouted, kicking the old man away. "I'll start with you." He said as he raised his side arm, cocked the gun and aimed it at the mayor's head.

The man pressed the tricked and the mayor closed his eyes as he waited for the end. The weapon fired but the old man was surprised to still be alive. He opened his eyes and raised his head, even more surprised with what he saw.

Standing in front of him was one of the SeeDs he had talked with earlier, the one in provocative black leather. She stood between him and the galbadian commander, his side arm tossed to the side as the tip of her gunblade leaned over his neck, keeping him at bay and really, really still.

Dobe heard some more commotion from the side and turned to see how the soldiers were divided between aiming their weapons to the woman in front of them or towards the other two women that stood in front of the rest of the villagers, having knocked out the unfortunate soldiers that had been on their way.

"Who the hell are you?" The commander demanded as he kept his voice in check, not a tinge of fear in it that made the mayor belief he was truly not intimidated by the millimetre that separated him from certain death.

Schala didn't answer immediately, she just stood there staring at the man with her angered blue-gray eyes.

"Leave." She said after a while, to the utter surprise of every single one that heard her, including her fellow SeeDs, though Xu made a better effort to conceal it that Zanya.

"What did you say?" No one was more surprised than the commander.

Those three women thought they could threaten a Commander of the Galbadian Armada? How dared they!?

Schala kept her glare, not at all intimidated by his high position in the military nor for the firepower that backed him up.

"Back down now, and we'll let you and your men leave." She clarified, no hesitation in her voice.

She wasn't sure exactly why she chose those words. Perhaps she just wanted to give the mayor the chance to be right, that a conflict could be solved without resorting to violence. Or maybe she just wanted to show the mayor that sometimes, no matter how much you want and try, some situations just can't be solved by discussion.

.

"What is she doing?" Xu whispered so that only Zanya could hear her.

"Beats the hell outta me!" She could only reply.

.

_Why, the nerve!_ The commander was outraged. What kind of bluff was that little girl trying to pull? Three women facing off an army? Preposterous!

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" He roared, causing his own men to flinch but not the girl standing in front of him, who just stared back with unimaginable ferocity.

"We're SeeDs."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: HURRRAAAAYYYYY!!!! My Beta is back, safe and sound… I'm so relieved :D. She was just terribly busy with work, which I suppose she is also now... anyway! Now that all is well in the world, let's get to the story, shall we?_

_So sorry for the long wait... I know... WAY too long, I have no excuse... Sorry..._

_Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. It was originally going all the way to the Iron Clad battle, but since the chapter was getting big and there was lots of things I intended to add, I decided to stop here and start chapter 34 with a massive encounter, not to mention Schala's last line really sets the climax for the next chapter (Heheheheh ;P)._

_The aforementioned chapter is going along smoothly, btw, you can rest assured there will NOT be so long till the next update. Cross my heart and hope (not) to die a horrible death._

_Anyways, love ya all and read ya next chapter!!_

_Revir*******************************************************_

_Returning with the "Reply to anonymous reviewers" section, this one goes to Nederis:_

"_Hey there, Nederis._

_Thank you SO much for your review, I loved it XD. Of course I couldn't just spam the game as it were, don't get me wrong the game is AWESOME, but if I wanted the game exactly as it was I'd just play it again (and again and again ;P), and with the changes I've made, though the characters in essence are the same, there are bound to be differences… and some not so subtle…_

_True, and as it has been repeated many times by my other reviewers, they tend to prefer Seifer to Rian. Sure, Seifer's relationship with Schala is quite… what's the word? Ardent, perhaps? But there is also something in the quietness and not so… confrontational (physically at least) relationship with Rian that could appease Schala and appeal to her somehow… I'm just saying, or rather not saying who she'll end up with. I like making my readers wonder (and squirm a little bit) with anticipation and theories XD. As for the pathetic… well, a guy in love can be drawn to do some pathetic things, right? Also, and as for the remake/possible changes in the space scene… Heheheheheheheh… sorry ;P_

_Hmm… those next inputs are truly interesting… I won't tell you if you're wrong or not, but I will tell you that the time you speak of, mainly the time in the story, the after G-Garden battle and all that, is ALL thought up in my head... You'll see when I eventually _

_get there. Then you will remember this review and see how accurate or not you were at the time XD_

_Thanks again and hope you keep at it as I certainly will. Take care and…_

_Read ya later_

_Revir"_

_And this one goes to jdukes :D :_

"_Heya, jdukes_

_Thank you SO much for your review, I was so happy to know you loved my story so much XD. FFVIII is awesome, it's so awesome, it's beyond awesome, it's… B-AWESOME!! And I'm also beyond honoured that you think I've made a good adaptation of it, although it's my story it is also Final Fantasy VIII after all =). Thank you so much for your praise, it's always good to hear/read and Hyne knows, I SO much appreciate it._

_Well, actually sometimes I have a little bit of difficulty being eloquent with the words… (you should see the first drafts of the chapters…), but my imagination plays a key part in the writing process. Often I imagine a scene in my head over and over then I try to accompany the situations with words and then all I have to do is type them down XD. _

_Isn't it wonderful when a story inspires you so much you just have to sketch a part you just read or a character on paper? I know I have felt like that before and have actually met one of my best friends because her story inspired me so that I just had to draw from it. And I'm deeply honoured you feel that way about mine._

_Thanks again for your lovely review and hope you could wait for this chapter, well… here it is! How did you fancy it? Hope you liked it :)_

_Take care and read ya later_

_Revir"_


	34. Chapter 34: Battle For FH

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the wonder and magnificence that is Final Fantasy VIII_

**Chapter 34 – Battle for FH**

"Get down!" Rian shouted and the SeeDs complied, ducking in time to avoid being hit by Cardinal as it soared through the air. The soldiers, however, weren't as lucky as three were thrown off the platform, splashing into the waters below.

Rian had pared up with Instructor Brandt and two others, a female Seed with curly black hair and a male cadet with thick black hair and dark skin.

Both the Instructor and the SeeD were in the front line, facing off about a dozen soldiers they had come across while heading towards the town. Meanwhile Rian and the cadet, who used a long bow as his weapon, stayed a bit behind for support. The opponents were down to three soldiers who stood a bit behind and raised their rifles to shoot the SeeDs from afar.

They never got a shot out.

The cadet shot three arrows simultaneously, catching one of the soldiers square in the chest while nicking the other two, one in the shoulder and another in the ankle. It slowed them enough so that the female SeeD caught up and slashed at both with her double-bladed hand blade.

"Good job!" Mark's loud voice reached even the farthest members of the squad as both Rian and the cadet approached their positions.

The instructor and the SeeD were currently checking on the few villagers they had just saved from the soldiers and by the time the other two joined them, the townsfolk were standing and fleeing for cover.

"They just got a scare, not a mark on them." Mark commented, looking ahead on the town which's commotion seemed far from finished.

"We should keep going." The female SeeD said, her voice soft and alluring though her tone betrayed some rush.

"Yes." Rian nodded. There was no time to waste.

As far as he knew, Schala and the others had already faced off half of the dispatched forces... He had to get to her as soon as possible.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"SeeDs!?" Commander Crais let out in surprise.

The Sorceress's hate for SeeDs was well known to her underlings. She despised them so much she had ordered missiles to be launched at their bases. The fact that they were there... Could it mean some survived? Could they know of her plans and if so, were they there to stop them?

Whatever the case, even if Ellone wasn't in FH, killing a few SeeDs would certainly earn him some favour with the sorceress. Just three little girls, how hard could they be to handle?

The Commander smiled making Schala frown and the mayor whimper behind her. That was definitely not a good sign.

"It's SeeD!" He shouted suddenly, catching Schala by surprise as he slapped her blade off his way and jumped back to a more safe position. "Get them!"

Commander Crais' orders caused for an uproar to rise in his troops and the front line of soldiers, easily two to three dozens, advanced towards the SeeDs.

_Dammit!_ Schala cursed under her breath. She had been careless.

"Protect the people." She shouted out to her companions as she raised her gunblade to parry the attacks of three incoming galbadian sabres.

She held her ground, she couldn't move freely since she had to stand between the soldiers and the mayor so her battle options were more limited than usual. Still she wouldn't let anything happen to the mayor of FH.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered low enough to be heard by the cowering Dobe shrinking behind her, and by the soldiers attacking her that stared in confusion. "But I have no choice."

Schala swung her blade as if there was nothing restraining her, forcing the soldiers to recoil from her. But instead of retaliating, she kept her ground as more soldiers joined them. She wasn't going anywhere. She wasn't going to let them hurt anyone if she could help it.

Dobe could only stare, motionless as the girl fended off the attackers without ever making an opening on a direct attack on him. He couldn't fully understand her behaviour or her words.

She actually gave them the option to leave, as if she didn't want any more bloodshed. She was a mercenary, such actions didn't make sense. And now, she was protecting him... He hadn't asked for that, there was nothing for her to gain from saving him. Wasn't that what mattered to mercenaries? Could she be different?

His attention was caught to his side as he saw an identical large number of soldiers going for the rest of the villagers but, as it happened to him, no danger ever came close. The other two female SeeDs stood between them, fighting off the soldiers with amazing skill.

The one in uniform danced around them, her weapons barely visible, like a blur such were their speed. Whenever a soldier would pass through their defence, he never got far as he was brought down by her swift sais. The other one, one that resembled more a boy than a girl, fought more chaotically but not less efficiently. Most of the soldiers facing her were instantly thrown back by her kicks and punches and those that remained were beaten up to unconsciousness.

The SeeDs were indeed a violent bunch but the mayor was forced to admit, despite the use of violence, what they were fighting for was...

"Ahh!"

The low cry made him turn back at the woman standing in front of him. Alone, she fended almost as many soldiers as the other two, most of which were already on the floor, unmoving. But she was in a precarious situation. Forced to fight as if she was against a wall, Schala's movements were severely restricted and she couldn't avoid an attack from cutting at her left arm.

Ignoring the sting in her arm she raised it, casting a blizzara spell that froze three out of seven remaining soldiers to the ground. Taking advantage of the momentary surprise that affected the soldiers, Schala twirled, focusing on her gunblade as she swung.

An energy pulse emanated from the blade as Schala pressed the trigger sending a shockwave that knocked all the soldiers down to the ground. Schala breathed deeply as all her opponents had been overpowered under the stunned stares of mayor Dobe and the galbadian commander as well as the rest of his troops.

Zanya and Xu had also dealt with their share. Zanya finished it with a punch to the ground releasing a quake spell, which made the soldiers surrounding them loose their balance. They made it easy picking for Xu's sais and Zanya's fists.

The SeeDs exchanged a look, checking that everyone was alright, before refocusing on the threat ahead.

Commander Crais was stunned. To think they could handle so many soldiers so easily. It seemed like SeeDs truly lived up to their reputation. Still, they were just three little girls, he refused to be defeated so easily.

Then he suddenly got a brilliant idea. How else to test SeeD's true strength than to face them off with one of Galbadia's state-of-the-art weapons? He locked his eyes with Schala's, a smirk back in his face.

"Bring out the Iron Clad!" He shouted to his troops.

Schala frowned, for more than a reason. For one, the commander's smirk gave her an uncomfortable feeling of familiarity, she later refused to acknowledge. On the other hand, his sudden confident attitude made her tense in anticipation, wondering what this _Iron Clad_ thing was.

Her answer came soon enough as the ground began to shake as if something big was approaching. Xu and Zanya exchanged a curious and concerned look before turning ahead and stare at what the Galbadians had in store for them.

Over the slight elevation leading from the lower docks, something was definitely coming. A large blue armoured tank climbed the steps slowly, the loud hum of its engines practically smothering the sound of breaking steps, caving in to the weight of the heavy MRV.

The Iron Clad moved slowly but imposingly, enhancing the dread in the eyes of the habitants of FH and the tension of the SeeDs. Not even the dents or other obvious battle damages made the large armoured tank seem less intimidating, in fact, quite the contrary. It stopped in the centre of the plaza, practically occupying its whole, as Commander Crais stepped forwards from the soldiers' front line.

"Scared yet?" He said smugly, not loud enough so it was heard across the plaza but its meaning was clear.

"We got ourselves a big one!" Zanya let out, standing ready to engage though doubting her fists could do much damage to the heavy armour plating, no matter how dented it already was.

"We have to try to take the villagers out of here." Xu commented. "There's no way we can stop that thing from crushing them into pancakes." She whispered low enough that the people couldn't hear her.

The last thing they needed was panic to intensify further.

Zanya nodded in agreement, though she wasn't sure how they were going to accomplish that. Nearer to the middle of the plaza, Schala was thinking of the same. That thing wasn't going to be easy to destroy, at least before it could harm the people.

She had to think of something... and fast.

"Kill them!" The Commander shouted, pointing ahead at them.

The villagers panicked and the SeeDs tensed as they saw the Iron Clad powering weapons.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright, we're lined in with our targets." Richards, the Shinra engineer, told the three in galbadian uniforms inside the control cabin of the Iron Clad, as he verified the controls. "Arm the weapons and prepare to fire!" He ordered and the sound of buttons being pressed was heard above the roaring of engines and devices, somewhat muffled by the cabin itself.

"Weapons charging up." One of the soldiers informed.

"This is it!" Another one said with high enthusiasm, making Richards smile.

Sure, militaries were all a bunch of idiots but he sure loved machinery. It pleased him that the soldiers were so eager to use the machine he had fixed. And with his supervision, they would take the armoured tank to the top limit of its ability.

"Alright!" Came an overly excited cheer. "Now how do I turn this thing?"

Richards' smile faltered.

_What the hell?_

"It's the panel to your left." The first soldier told him, receiving an _"Ahh, right!_" as a reply. "Ok, reacquiring targets!" He added as the tank began to turn.

"We're already on target!" Richards called out, approaching the controls. "What are you doin'...?" He inquired but the cock of a shotgun, and the feeling of the cold end of a pipe cut him short.

"Sorry, honey." Said a definitive female voice.

The man turned, staring as the soldier removed the helmet revealing flowing red hair.

"Slight change of plans." Inara added with a smirk, pressing Valiant against the man's chest. "Now if you just cooperate with us, you won't be harmed... extensively."

Richards suddenly realised what was going on. He stared at the other consoles, still being operated by the other two _soldiers_ and saw as one of them, the one on the driver's seat, also took out his helmet.

"Ahhaahh! Finally some non putrid air!" Sorphan let out, taking a deep breath and cringing his nose at the smell of the cabin's interior. "Bah, not much better, but still..."

"Are we set?" Inara asked, looking over Quentin's shoulder – who had yet to remove his helmet – but always keeping her gun aimed at the engineer.

"We're ready."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Iron Clad began to turn away from the perfect angle it had, aiming at the SeeDs, ending up facing the soldiers instead. From galbadians to SeeDs to FH's townsfolk, everyone was utterly confused.

The weapon systems of the large tank powered up completely and its machineguns started to turn and, to the astonishment of just about everyone, they started to fire straight at the unprepared galbadian soldiers.

There was a new wave of screams as the men panicked and dispersed in chaos in the hopeless attempt to escape certain death. All around there were soldiers being hit by the gunfire, blood splattering all over the plaza's dust-filled floor. Even the commander had to hide behind a column to prevent becoming full of holes.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He shouted from his hiding place though it would be close to impossible for the people inside the tank to have heard him over the gunfire.

As the soldiers fell left and right by the makings of their own machine, the SeeDs shared, to an extent, their confusion. Weren't they supposed to be the ones being attacked?

"The hell is wrong with that thing?" Zanya let out, her fighting pose relaxed as they all just stared.

Schala shared her reaction as she observed, with some degree of confusion, the scene ahead.

The soldiers were being attacked by their own weapon... Could it be malfunctioning? Could, whoever was in control of it, be on their side? The latter felt more improbable, they had no allies among the Galbadians. Well, there was Congresswoman Caraway, but after the fiasco of the assassination mission, Schala doubted the woman was willing to use her influence on something like that.

Her ponderings had to stay for another time as she recovered from her surprise. Whatever was going on, they couldn't let this chance slip through their fingers.

"Zanya! Xu!" She called out to them, getting their attention. "Get those people out of here!"

The two SeeDs regained their senses and proceeded to lead the people away, taking advantage of the sudden and destructive distraction that had befallen the galbadian soldiers.

Schala looked through the corner of her eyes, the people leaving the plaza with her companions guarding them but she never lost notice of the battle field in front of her.

The soldiers seemed to have recovered from their initial surprise and were now attacking the armoured tank with everything they had, whilst others tried to escape that battle and head back into town. With the villagers still evacuating, she couldn't allow the soldiers to intercept.

"Run for cover." Schala said to the suddenly surprised mayor that for a moment feared to have been forgotten, but she had always been aware of him. "That way." She added pointing to the other side of the plaza, nearer to the abandoned train station and opposite direction of which the villagers had fled to and to which the soldiers now followed.

Too many soldiers were heading that way, she couldn't keep him safe if he tagged along. On the other hand, the station area was now clear of any threat. It would be less likely for a single person to get caught in the confusion than the large group that was there earlier. He should be safe there.

When the mayor failed to comply, Schala used her free and injured hand to force the man to his feet, causing for a couple of drops of blood to stain his colourful shirt. Ignoring the sting in her arm, she turned to the man.

"I said, run!" She repeated and pushed him back, the man almost stumbling but recovering and mechanically running the way he had been indicated.

Seeing as he was far enough, Schala moved swiftly to stand in front of the fleeing horde of soldiers. They had to stop but still managed to react and pull their weapons up to attack her.

The front line was too slow as Schala slashed through them, effectively halting the soldiers' movements as the ones still standing backed off from her and regrouped. Better prepared and organized this time around, the soldiers charged at Schala who quickly found herself surrounded.

As she had feared, even though the cries of dying soldiers filled the air, the ones in front of her were still too many. She fought them off, but with some difficulty despite no longer being restrained. Among the rain of gunfire, a bullet broke her protect spell, grazing at her torso and the soldiers advanced to take her out.

Schala could barely lift her blade for protection when two blurs came between them, falling the front soldiers.

"Never fear... I am here!" Zanya cried out in enthusiasm as she and Xu dropped in seemingly out of nowhere.

Schala stared for a moment to the women as they stood in front of her as she had done for the mayor not fifteen minutes ago.

"You're late." Schala commented as she stood, recovered from the previous overwhelming situation and the prompt rescue.

Xu spared her a glance as Zanya's smile just widened.

"You're welcome." She said with a smirk as the gunblader joined their ranks, standing beside them.

Xu could have sworn she detected an almost smile in the usually expressionless teen, but discarded her thoughts as she focused on the mass of soldiers ahead of them.

Schala might not been able to handle such numbers on her own, but she wasn't alone anymore.

The SeeDs stood ready to strike, their fearless expressions and threatening stances making the front soldiers flinch.

"Let's do this!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright!" Sorphan cheered as the soldiers that hadn't the good sense to try and flee, fell by the dozens under the massive gunfire of the Iron Clad. Even most of those who'd ran didn't have much more luck.

"There's still so many left..." Quentin commented as he operated the guns controls, making a sweep of the area around them.

The soldiers outside the tank had started to fight back while taking cover behind the structures surrounding the plaza, though the heavy armour plating made little notice of the offence. Even so, the numbers of the galbadians was still so large, the instructor started to fear they would run out of ammunition before they could deal with everyone.

"Where are Schala and the others?" Inara wondered.

Previous to taking over the MRV, as well as after, the infiltrated SeeDs had noticed the presence of the other SeeD squad standing in front of whom seemed to be the habitants of Fisherman's Horizon. That was the only sign they needed to spring into action and take over the military vehicle that now decimated the troops it had once belonged to. However, in the confusion, the sharpshooter had lost track of them.

"I think they're upfront, on the way into town." Sorphan mentioned as, through the images in his console, he saw some commotion involving heavy magic in that area.

He reasoned Schala and the others would try and prevent the soldiers from fleeing into town and endanger the townsfolk that had just managed to escape. It was just the type of people they were.

"More soldiers are heading their way." Quentin suddenly noted. They seemed desperate to stay alive. "We have to think of something or else they'll be overwhelmed!" He added.

His concern for the well being of the SeeDs on the outside had only increased when he recognized Xu among them. Despite his concern and the situation they were in, Quentin couldn't stop but being relieved at the sight. Xu and even Schala's and Zanya's presence meant that the Garden had to be safe somehow, despite their inability to stop all of the missiles. As to how, that would have to wait. Right now, he just wanted to get everyone out of that situation safe and sound.

"Doesn't this thing have something that carries a stronger punch?" Sorphan wondered, remembering a highly troublesome cannon of sorts that had almost killed them back at the missile base confrontation.

Inara thought of the same as she suddenly focused on Engineer Richards, who had unexpectedly become coy.

"Now, now..." She started, pressing Valiant more forcibly on the man's chest and entering his field of vision. "Don't you hold out on us..." She said in a voice both alluring and threatening.

Richards swallowed dry. He wasn't usually a cowardly man, but under the circumstances he saw no other way out.

"The panel on the right of the driver..." He surrendered the info without resistance, resigning himself to the situation.

He never owed the military anything anyways, it was just an assignment.

"It activates the main weapon then you just press the large red button on top to fire it."

It wasn't worth losing his life for...

Inara stared hard at the man, making sure he wasn't pulling their leg. Even though there was fear and thought reflected in his eyes, she could tell he wasn't lying.

"Sorphan, honey." She called out, never wandering her sharp cobalt eyes from the galbadian as she already heard the tall young man stumbling with some buttons.

"Got it." He said as he continued to press buttons, setting the charge and aim for the weapon.

"Hit it!" Inara said, smirking as she could just see his expression though she wasn't looking.

"WOOHOO!!!" Sorphan cried out as he pressed the large red button.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala looked back at the Iron Clad instants before the red eye at its centre front started to glow brightly. Not a second later, it fired a beam that burned through the soldiers' ranks, clearing everything in its path while leaving a scorched trail.

The SeeDs ducked as it reached even their position but in no way threatening their lives. Same couldn't be said for many of the soldiers attacking them as the stench of burning flesh filled the air. Panic ensued once more among the forces and they broke formation, scattering all over the place. The SeeDs took their chance to fight them off, eliminating the bulk of the forces with a combination of weapons, fists and magic.

Once the situation somewhat settled, Schala looked back at the blue armoured tank. She could have sworn she had heard a familiar cry in an equally familiar voice seconds before the laser fired. She shook her head and raised Revolver to parry an incoming attack.

She had to get her head in the game. Besides, there was no way... was there?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Commander Crais! You're alright, sir?!" A soldier by the improvised docks called out as he noticed the commander rushing from the, obvious, heavy battle zone.

The commander was slightly out of breath and his uniform was smouldered in several places. It seemed he barely just made it out of there alive.

"Status report!" The commander demanded more than asked, making all soldiers stand in line.

He was in a foul mood. He was never a cheerful man, but his men could tell something had definitely gone against his plans. Whatever was going on up there, it clearly did not benefit them.

"Sir! More than two thirds of our troops are unaccounted for." The soldier informed.

Most of those soldiers had been with Commander Crais himself, atop of the platform ahead. The same platform that seemed to be a real warzone from where they were standing.

"What about the soldiers in town?" The commander, again, demanded.

Several battalions had been dispatched to gather the locals and search for Ellone. Those men weren't involved in the battle, as far as he was aware, and the backup could certainly be welcome at that point.

"Sir! We haven't received any contact from them for a long while now." The soldier thought for a bit. "Around the same time as the commotion started up there, for that matter..." He added, wondering if and how the events could be related.

Commander Tauvo Crais froze as he contemplated the implications of that information. Could the SeeDs have reinforcements in town? Those three monstrous women could be only a decoy... there could even be SeeDs infiltrating the Iron Clad. That would certainly explain its rogue behavious. Was it possible the SeeDs could have known their intentions and planned that whole thing to overcome his forces?

It seemed close to impossible, but he couldn't consider any other possibility. The SeeDs were indeed dangerous wretches... they had to be thoroughly dealt with. He couldn't let them beat him.

"Sir...?" One of the soldiers started, temporarily snapping the senior officer from his thoughts. "Wh-What is going up over there...?" He wondered as the sound of gunfire continued to fill the air, accompanied now with several blasts.

"The Iron Clad has gone berserk and started to attack our men..." The commander said, almost absentmindedly as his thoughts roamed around possible courses of action.

He utterly ignored the soldiers' astonished cries as he continued.

"I can't let them get away with this..." He thought out loud before finally acknowledging his men. "What's the status of the Mars' main cannon?" He suddenly asked.

The soldiers took a moment to answer, which almost threw the senior officer into a fit but one managed to reply before he could snap at them.

"It's fully operational and ready to fire, sir!"

"Good." He commented as he advanced towards his battleship.

"Aim it at the plaza and fire."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the train station square, the battle continued, though it wasn't nearly as intense as it once had been. The Galbadian forces were reduced to less than a fourth of the original dispatched regiment and these numbers still dimmed by the second due to the works of the three female SeeDs and the Iron Clad, the attack MRV formerly in the service of the Galdbadian army.

Yes, formerly since the SeeDs doubted it was under their service now. Its actions had taken more soldiers' lives than their own.

Still, the soldiers continued to fight a losing battle, not surrendering even though it was hopeless. Either they were honourable or stupid enough not to admit defeat when it was so clearly obvious.

After the blue tank fired its main cannon once again, a loud explosion made everyone stop and look over to the side where the docked Galbadian fleet was located. The imposing shape of the GENS Mars was enveloped in thick black smoke and once that cleared, the sight was unimaginable.

The main cannon at its front had apparently blown up in a massive blast, damaging a good part of the bow and completely wrecking the twin side cannons that had previously been used to blow up some working towers.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"It was about time! I thought that thing would never blow." Sorphan commented as the cabin of the Iron Clad barely rocked with the heavy explosion.

Richards stared at the SeeDs as, from their words he presumed they were responsible for the blow out on the GENS. The SeeDs must have planted explosives on the main cannon's systems hoping it would hinder the large battleship, crippling the galbadian's threat considerably.

And they were right.

These SeeDs were no mere pushovers, that was for sure. They had planned everything to the detail.

There was no way the Galbadian soldiers could regain the upper hand now. There was only one chance for them...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Shit! What the hell was that?!" Commander Crais shouted out, rhetorically of course, since it was pretty obvious.

"Sir! The main cannon just blew up!" One of the soldiers still replied among the rubble and ruckus.

The commander opted for ignoring him, more pressing problems in his mind than reprimanding the man.

There was an order that he had to ensue, an order he never thought he would have to relay in that place. He still couldn't believe it had actually come to that. He hated giving that order, but he had no choice.

"Sir, what do we do now?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Order the retreat, we're taking off!" The commander told everyone that heard him. "Prepare the ship for immediate departure."

"Whoever isn't fast enough is being left behind!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Wow! The galbadians really know how to burn down the house." Zanya commented as the remnants of the explosion still filled the air with the scent of burned gunpowder.

"It doesn't seem to be the galbadians' lucky day, does it?" Xu added as the three SeeDs stood to the side of the plaza, every soldier surrounding them dealt with and only a couple of dozens were left, hiding from the Iron Clad's line of sight behind a column.

Schala was forced to agree with her two companions. First their weapon turns against them now their battleship blows up... the soldiers were running out of options.

"Wait! Don't shoot us anymore!"

_Huh?!?_ Schala turned to the small group of surviving soldiers, stunned as she saw them lower their weapons and coming out of hiding with their hands up. Xu and Zanya shared her astonishment. None had ever seen a galbadian giving up.

"We surrender!" The forward man shouted out, mostly addressing the large blue tank. "Please don't kill us. We won't fight anymore."

Both the SeeDs and the soldiers looked at the MRV attentively as its machineguns still turned menacingly, but no bullets came out.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Do we have to?" Sorphan almost whined, looking back inside the cabin of the Iron Clad for guidance of his companions.

He was having fun blowing stuff up. He wanted to keep at it, but going after passive adversaries, was rather boring... it killed the buzz.

"Sorphan..." Quentin felt the need to say, staring back at the chirpy tall brunet though his reprimanding stare lost its edge through the helmet he had yet to remove.

"Now, now, honey." Inara intervened. "Acts of slaughter aren't nice."

Richards stared wide eyed at the path the events and that conversation were leading into. They had already slaughtered countless soldiers and she was just saying that now? Sure, they had been armed and fighting back before, but still her words made no sense. At that point he couldn't tell what was worse... The carefree tone in which that conversation was taking place or the disappointing expression of the insane young man behind the controls.

"Aww... I know, I know..." Sorphan wailed, turning back to his consol and searching for the right buttons to press.

"Drats..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The soldiers let out sound sighs of relief as the machineguns stopped spinning and the weapons powered down. They had, by the grace of Hyne, escaped the same fate as their companions and could only be grateful for that.

However, their relief was short lived as, even though the Iron Clad had powered down, the three SeeDs, who had also handled their fair share of their fellow soldiers, approached them. The short blonde one carried a worrisome smirk.

"Well, aren't we lucky?" Zanya wondered out loud as she stepped nearer to the unarmed soldiers, who tensed considerably at her arrival.

She was obviously referring to the kind souls manning the heavy military MRV that had spared the soldiers lives. With the air on that woman, the men could only wonder if the SeeDs were going to be as merciful.

"What are we gonna do with them?" Xu wondered, her eyes shifting from Zanya to Schala.

Zanya's smirk grew more disturbing, making most of the soldiers shiver. That did not bode well for them.

"I wonder..." Zanya started again, widening her eyes and giving off a really wacked vibe which could rival with Sorphan's anytime.

"Zanya." Schala voiced out, making the blonde shift her stare.

Schala was looking at her intently but not in reprimand. The soldiers were scared enough and the martial artist seemed to be enjoying it.

Zanya stared back for a bit before she sighed in resignation. She knew what the gunblader was mentally transmitting to her. She also knew it already, she was just teasing them a bit... Still...

"Oh, alright... Party-pooper..." She let out jokingly, making sure the galbadians heard every word.

Schala closed her eyes and shook her head. Zanya just couldn't resist one last chance to frighten the soldiers... how childish.

Abandoning all pretence, Zanya looked back at the soldiers, all packed up, nervous and twitching. They were almost two dozens...

"We're gonna need some rope."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Let's go men! Hurry up back at the Mars!" A senior soldier called out to the few of his subordinates that were still roaming the streets of the town.

The ruckus near their docked ships had not passed unnoticed, less alone the major explosion on the battleship. He didn't know exactly what had happened but if it was half of what had happened to him and his men, well. Let's just say he wasn't surprised when the retreat order reached his ears.

The soldiers under his command were searching for Ellone in town when they were suddenly taken aback with the appearance of several people that, contrary to the locals' beliefs, began fighting and even defeating them. He managed to identify the uniforms they wore as SeeD, which was beyond troublesome. The sworn enemies of Sorceress Edea, despite their reduced numbers, had driven the galbadians into running.

Their ruler was right to attack them, they were barely human...

"Get a move on or the ship will leave without us!" He added, knowing full well that would indeed be the case if they were to delay much further.

Commander Crais was everything but a patient man. He wouldn't hesitate to leave them all there to die.

"C'mon! Move it! Move it! Mov..." He kept calling out till he was suddenly interrupted by a red blur knocking him out of consciousness.

Cardinal returned to its master's hands as the SeeDs sprung into action. The fight against the soldiers had been going smoothly even before the loud blast that threw the galbadians off their game. Though curious, the SeeDs, cadets and Rian still had to handle the military threat, especially when practically the whole population of FH came running up the ramps crossing the town. They were now all cooped up near the mayor's house though the mayor himself was nowhere among them. One other team of SeeDs and cadets had stayed back to protect them while Instructor Brandt's and Nida's squads pushed back the soldiers.

Now they seemed to be stampeding away, running as if their lives depended on it. Mark would have them belief that was a normal behaviour when fighting him, to which there were some snorting and taken back reactions, but as that officer shouted out it became clear what was going on.

The galbadians were fleeing.

"That's a good thing, right?" Rian wondered aloud. "We don't have to fight them all. When they leave the town will be safe." He concluded.

The SeeDs reactions, however, didn't seem so optimist.

"Will it?" The SeeD with curly black hair wondered as her tense pose didn't relax.

Rian narrowed his eyes. What did she mean by that?

"Kid, we can't let them escape." Instructor Brandt cut in, getting ready to make chase to the soldiers.

"How come?" A female cadet of Nida's team asked.

The dark blue haired girl, carrying a heavy mace stepped forward, her thoughts on the same wavelength as Rian's.

"If they just leave..." She started but halted as Nida placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It's not so simple, Carol." He stated, looking ahead at Mark that simply nodded in agreement.

"If we let the galbadians escape, they'll report back to the sorceress." Mark informed, making the others suddenly understand the full extent of the situation. "They'll tell her that we're here and she might retaliate in a more forceful way."

"What we're doing now won't mean anything if the full Galbadian military attacks or launches missiles at this place." The female SeeD added.

"That's why it is imperative that the galbadians don't escape." Mark concluded.

Rian and the cadet girl resigned with the situation, however...

"It might be too late for that..." The male cadet with thick dark hair and skin commented as he looked in the distance.

The others' stare followed his and they saw what he meant. The battleship was growing smaller. It was backing up from its docked position. The Galbadians were leaving Fisherman's Horizon, sealing the fate of the habitants and of the soldiers they left behind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Alright! All tied up and pretty." Zanya let out proudly.

The little under two dozen soldiers that had laid down their weapons, had been tied up and gagged together with a long string of rope Xu and Schala had no idea from where Zanya had dug up in such a short time. If they posed no threat before, they now resembled new born kitties.

"Well, now that that's done... what now?" Xu wondered, looking back towards Schala when a loud rumbling sound caught her attention and everyone else's in the plaza.

They all turned towards the location of the sound, ending up starring at the form of the damaged GENS as it powered its engines. The large battleship started to move away from the docks quick to be followed by most of the smaller and faster attack vessels that had joined it on arrival. It seemed the galbadians were turning tail and running, much to the dismay of the surrendered soldiers that realized they had been abandoned by their companions.

"What do we do now?" Zanya wondered aloud as the ships were too far gone to be caught up by them.

"Can we really let them get away?" Xu added with concern.

Schala had mixed feelings about what to do faced with this new development. On one side, she herself had given them the chance to leave before. However the implications of them running back to their sorceress in shame could be disastrous for the people of FH.

Whatever the case, there didn't seem like there was much they could do.

Schala stepped forward but whatever thought was on her mind it was cancelled when the sound of mechanically opening doors reached her ears from across the plaza. She and the other SeeDs turned as a door on the Iron Clad suddenly opened up. The three women tensed, reaching for their weapons as they were unsure of what to expect.

It was a fact that whoever operated the tank wasn't a friend of the Galbadian Military, but that didn't mean they could be trusted. Without knowing who they were, the SeeDs couldn't allow themselves to stand down.

They tensed further as a man in dirty, greased overalls climbed down from the MRV. Rather forcefully, almost as he had been pushed out the door, the man stumbled to his feet, barely managing not to fall. He seemed annoyed, glaring back at whoever remained in the darkness inside the armoured vehicle and only then did he turn. His stance tensed as he saw the SeeDs ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

He stepped lightly back towards the tank, slightly raising his hands in surrender only to be pushed forwards, and falling this time, as someone else exited the Iron Clad. The man in military uniform only made the SeeDs tense even further, standing with their weapons up.

The soldier ignored the complaints of the other man as he stood, and just kept starring ahead at the three women, or so it seemed despite the helmet. He almost looked confused till he seemed to realise something and raised his hands to his head. Seeing the SeeDs react to his sudden movement, he continued but slowly till he got hold of his helmet. Keeping moving slowly, the man removed his helmet, dropping it by his side while long, flowing blond hair was released, waving at the sound of the wind.

The three women across the plaza froze where they stood, lowering their weapons in shock. Realization came much after. Their eyes widened, they could only stare at the familiar expression in Instructor Trepe's face.

Of all the people they could expect to exit the blue armoured tank, he had to be the last one to ever cross their minds. And if he was there, that meant...

As soon as that thought was able to cross Schala's mind, she had her answer. Sorphan, already without a helmet, all but jumped out of the Iron Clad, taking a very deep and slightly comical breath of fresh air, coughing soon afterwards due to the intense gunpowder and burnt scent that filled the area of the recent battle. Right after him came a giggling Inara, also in galbadian uniform and without a helmet. She seemed to be laughing at the tall young man's antics in his search for clean, non smelly air, something he had been craving for the past few days and failing to acquire.

With the two women still stunned and the infiltrated SeeDs exposed, no one noticed anything else till Quentin was suddenly tackled. Xu ran and jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck causing him to twirl around to avoid being knocked over. He laughed till he couldn't, Xu's lips crashing into his as they shared a passionate kiss that was a long time coming.

Sorphan and Inara took all two seconds to register the events, with the red headed woman smiling openly.

"Now that's what I call a welcome." She commented, sending a side glance to her companion who in turn, refused to meet her eyes.

With that, Zanya snapped out of her surprise and followed the senior SeeD's example, running towards her long lost friends. Thankfully for them, when she came close she didn't tackle them. However their relief was short lived as she grabbed the two – Xu had yet to let go of Quentin – into a bone-crushing-bear-hug that had them begging her to let go.

All the while, Schala observed from a distance. Saying she had been surprised with that particular development would be quite the understatement. Even her thoughts had drawn a blank and when she came too, she was amazed she hadn't lost grip on Revolver and it still rested in her lowered hands.

She realized, though didn't fully acknowledged the reasons behind it, that she had been worried about her companions' fate. Not only that, in that particular moment, she was relieved and truly thankful they were actually alright. She remained where she stood, for a long while unable to step forward and join the happy and loud reunion, uncertain if she wanted to.

"And that's..." Zanya talked and laughed as did all the others – Xu finally letting Quentin breathe – and only then did she notice a certain absence.

She looked around till she saw her, still on the same stop and still looking as if she's just seen a ghost... or three.

"Hey! Schala!" She called out, snapping the woman from the numbness she had slipped into.

Schala focused her eyes on them, seeing as the martial artist waved her over.

"C'mon!" She called again with a wide smile.

Hesitant for just a moment, Schala's grip on her gunblade tightened before she sheathed it and started to approached the cheery group. Placing one foot in front of the other, she didn't demonstrated the same enthusiasm as the two women before her, but just one look into her eyes could reveal she was no less emotional than them.

Inara could swear there was an unshed tear at the corner of her eyes that in a blink of an eye, was gone as if it was never there.

When she got to them, she still didn't know what to say, causing for a slightly awkward silent moment to ensue.

Should she tell them she was happy to see them? Happy they were safe? Happy or relieved? She couldn't tell the difference at this point...

"Some things never change..." Quentin's voice broke the silence and the awkwardness as everyone just started laughing.

Everyone but Schala who didn't understand why they were so amused. Reasoning that it must still be the after effect of the giddiness of their reunion, she opted to ignore it completely missing Quentin's insinuation.

That reaction only made them laugh some more much to the confusion of Richards and the tied up soldiers. Schala just rolled her eyes, waiting for them to compose themselves when something else caught their attention.

"Schala!" The SeeDs all turned towards the call, finding Rian on the other end as he and a bunch of SeeDs and cadets rushed inside the plaza.

"Rian...?" Schala let out, wondering why he was there and how had he convinced headmaster Cid into letting him return to the town crawling with galbadian soldiers.

However, her questions would remain on hold as someone else intervened, changing the target of the recently arrived fighters' attention.

"Rian!" Sorphan cried out in utter cheerfulness, making the raven haired young man stop for a moment as he registered the scene ahead of him.

Hundred of galbadian soldiers dead and spread all around the plaza... A couple of dozens tied up near the pillars... The mayor cowering and otherwise unmoving, but breathing, near of what it seemed like the entrance of an abandoned train station... Schala, Xu and Zanya relatively unharmed near a huge and menacing looking blue armoured tank... Near them were at least three more people in galbadian uniforms but without their helmets... they kinda looked like...

"Sorphan...? Inara...? Quentin...?" He let out, wide eyed at the recognition.

He forgot all about what had and was still happening all around him as he rushed towards them.

"By Hyne, you're alright!" He cried out as he got to them, hugging them and cringing as Zanya wanted a part on the continued happiness, almost crushing all their bones.

"How did you get here? What happened? Why are you wearing those things...? Are you alright?" He asked amid compliments, hugs and pats in the back.

The recently reunited SeeDs could only laugh at the string of questions the young man just shot out, though in a more coherent way contrary to Sorphan's usual way...

"Hey! Easy there, tiger!" Inara let out with a smile, placing her hand on the young man's shoulder.

"We'll explain everything." Quentin added.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait." A strong, tough voice made them turn to acknowledge the remaining members of Rian's team.

"Mark..." Quentin whispered, the fellow instructor's seriousness turning his smile into a frown.

"It's good to see you guys are safe, but we have more pressing matters at hand." He noted.

"What's the problem?" Sorphan wondered.

The galbadian threat on FH had been nullified due to the joint efforts of all the SeeDs. The soldiers were on the run, so there shouldn't be any problem for a while.

"The Galbadians' escape places us in a tricky situation." Mark continued. "When they return to the sorceress and tell her what happened here, you can be sure there will be retaliation."

"She can order another missile launch and wipe the town out of the water." Nida added as he stood next to the instructor, most of the other SeeDs and cadets checking on the prisoners.

"That won't happen." Inara contributed, a sly smile on her face.

"We can't be sure of that." Nida replied but the red headed woman's confidence made him wonder.

"Actually, we can." Quentin provided, confirming to Mark that there was more to that story than what they knew of.

"To answer your second question, Rian..." Inara continued with a smile and approving nods from her two companions. "We nearly got blown up... when the missile base self destructed."

The surprise in the SeeDs was more than obvious.

"There won't be any more missiles coming out of that place EVER!" Sorphan added with a smile that seemed to indicate he enjoyed blowing it up.

"That must have been cool." Zanya wondered, her destructive vein popping up.

"It really was!" Sorphan provided with a wide smile and a laugh.

The reunited SeeDs sported a wide smile filled with pride, though Quentin's faltered first.

"Though we weren't able to stop the last launch heading for Balamb..." He said, though his apprehension wasn't as severe as it could be, considering... "How did you get here? What happened to Garden? The missiles..."

"Garden's safe." Schala spoke for the first time in a while, feeling it was her information to tell.

After all she left those three to go to the missile base as she went back to Balamb Garden to try and save it. Even as the outcome was somewhat and completely unexpected, they had ultimately accomplished their goal.

"But how?" Quentin insisted.

Even if their messing around with the error ratio of the missiles had made all the rockets miss the Garden, which was rather unlikely, that wouldn't account for the SeeDs' presence in FH.

"You won't believe it if we told you." Zanya commented, a tricky smile on her face.

True, even if they told them that the Garden, through the works of an ancient centraian device, rose above the ground gaining the ability of mobility and, after actually moving away from the missiles, crashed into the ocean and drifted till it crashed in FH, no... They probably wouldn't believe them.

"Well, that's one good news..." Mark continued, breaking the casual moment. "But that doesn't get us in the clear."

All eyes were once again in the older instructor.

"That was just one GENS. As far as I know the Galbadian Armada has 5, that is 4 more." He informed, making the SeeDs cringe in realization.

If they were to return with five battleships with ranged capabilities and packed with soldiers, FH would be wiped from the map.

"Though that being the Mars, it was the more offensive vessel in the fleet, the others are not to be taken lightly." He added. "It's too late to stop the GENS from regrouping with the rest now. We must prepare a defence or, perhaps better yet, evacuate the civilians."

That really did seem like the best option. Schala knew there were few SeeDs and able cadets on board Garden to fend off such galbadian numbers. Part of their success that day had been the element of surprise and the fact they weren't expecting any resistance. Next time they wouldn't be so lucky. They would come at full force for a massacre. And if the sorceress were to join the soldiers...

She looked to the side, to the large blue tank. Not even that could be decisive in the defence of the town. They might not have any other choice than to evacuate them into Garden...

"Hah!" Zanya suddenly let out, startling most that were deep in thought. "Those are not our only choices!"

Everyone just stared as a truly worrisome smirk covered the martial artist's face. Whenever she got like that, it meant someone would have to rebuild something...

"I have an idea!"

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"Are we in range to send a communicate to the Sorceress' fleet?" Commander Crais questioned the soldiers in the damaged bridge of the GENS Mars.

"Not yet, sir." The soldier sitting in the communication console informed as he checked readings and equipment. "The long range antenna was damaged in the blast. We have people working on it right now to get it up and running as fast as possible."

"Good." Was all he could say.

Even with the events passed, the soldiers hadn't completely lost their spirit and had returned to their duties promptly. That was good, it was one least thing for him to worry about as he prepared physically and mentally to face the sorceress with his failure. It wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation...

He could just imagine the expression on his big brother's face. That initial mocking grin that would shift to a truly dreadful one. Those SeeDs were going to regret crossing him. The GENS Jupiter, commandeered by his brother, General Bialar Crais, was the largest battleship of the entire armada. Even as the Mars was the better armed, the Jupiter was by far more imposing.

It was almost worth his defeat to be able to see his brother crushing those wretched women. He would have his revenge soon enough.

"Commander Crais, sir!" The call from one of his officers snapped the commander from his musings and thoughts of SeeD mutilation as he turned to face him.

"What is it?" He snapped back, annoyed to have his mental images interrupted.

"Sir! We're picking up an unidentified object in the water, moving at great speed towards us." The soldier informed.

That certainly got his attention.

"What is it? A ship? A torpedo? What?!!" He demanded, hovering over the soldier as to see the screens.

He got a glimpse of something too long to be a projectile and too thin to be a vessel, but if in a second it was there, in the next it was gone.

"What'a?!" The Commander and the soldier both let out as suddenly the screen was empty of any contacts.

"Where did it go?" Commander Crais asked, keeping his stare on the visor as if it had been just an illusion.

"I don't know, Sir." The soldier confessed, him also confused. "It's like it was just swallowed by the sea..."

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The waters a good five kilometres behind the retreating small armada, suddenly became restless as a dark snaky shadow, flowing swiftly beneath its surface, suddenly fused with its surroundings. It disappeared from sight in the watery mass.

The sea then began to rise quite ominously, raising high above the usually possible. So much that whoever would stand on top of the nearby ships could no longer catch a glimpse of the Horizon Bridge behind it.

The long high bridge that stretched from horizon to horizon and stood as tall as a good 50 metres above sea level became veiled by a colossal wave travelling at an unimaginable speed and quickly gaining on the unsuspecting galbadian armada.

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"Sir!" Another soldier called out from the communication console, clear across the bridge from the radar station.

The commander still had his eyes glued to the screens, searching for the phantom image of a possible attacker. After what had come to pass on that day, he felt he couldn't ignore even the vaguest thought of a threat and somehow, that mirage on the radar felt to be more than just an echo.

He had a really bad feeling about that.

"Sir!" The call came again, making the commander finally tear his eyes from the radar screens.

"What?!" He barked out, angry at the insistence.

That had better be important... for the soldier's sake...

"Sir...!" The man hesitated for just a second before continuing. "The accompanying ships have reported a wave forming behind us..."

"Is that it?!" The commander shouted. "A wave?! We're at sea, waves are normal!" He snapped back, returning his attention to the radar.

"But, sir..." The soldier tried but cowered as the commander roared in anger.

"Don't waste my time!"

Silence fell on the bridge, no fly daring to buzz as one could almost cut the commander's irritation with a knife.

The man by the communication panel replaced the headphones in his head, being once again showered by cries of panic from the smaller attack vessels that accompanied the GENS path.

He was forced to choose between ignoring their terrified screams or facing the terrorizing rage of their commanding officer...

"..."

"... Sir...?"

"That's it!" Commander Crais rose from his leaned position behind the radar controller – who took a deep breath for the first time in several minutes – and turned, stomping his way towards the communication console.

"How big a wave can it be?!!" He snapped, ripping the headset off the man's head, almost dragging the head behind it, and placed it near his ears, ready to shout out at whoever was making such a fuss.

"..."

His anger died down instantly as the truly horrified screams of his men froze him in place. He dropped the headphones and rushed outside the bridge, out on deck as the echos of shrieks of dread and alarm sounded inside the cabin...

"_No freakin' way!"_

"_Speed up, we have to go faster!"_

"_Mars, what do we do?"_

"_We need help!"_

"_Just go faster!"_

"_Mars, please give some indication..."_

"_We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" We're definitely gonna die!_

"_There's no way we survive this! Death is coming"_

"_Mars!!"_

The Commander heard no more as he exited the bridge, circling around it so he could see the stern of the ship and what was behind it. His eyes widened in shock that he didn't even acknowledge the presence of a couple more soldiers that had followed after him.

All he had eyes for was the sea. All he could see was the sea rising up towards them. A gigantic wave that covered his entire field of vision and more.

Such a monstrous wave that rose up and threatened to swallow them whole.

"We have to go faster..." He said, apparently to no one in particular since he didn't seem aware of the men behind him.

Several other smaller attack vessels that usually kept to the GENS' pace had already sped forward in a vain attempt to escape the tsunami's destructive path.

The soldiers behind the commander were equally frozen, one almost jumping out of his skin as Commander Crais suddenly reached out and pulled him up by his collar.

"I said, GO FASTER!!!"

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The smaller attack vessels' speed was quickly matched by the accelerating GENS Mars as its engines roared into activity far beyond what they had been designed to. The galbadians grew desperate for survival, stretching their technology past its limits in the slim chance to be able to outrun the enormous wave that seemed to follow after them, almost as it had a will.

From the watery mass, a shape suddenly reappeared out of nowhere, seemingly forming out of the water itself.

Leviathan screeched amidst the waters, diving under the wave and swimming swiftly beneath the surface as if it was a part of the sea. He quickly reached and passed by the fleeing galbadian armada, going farther in front of them in the blink of an eye.

Once he had quite the few kilometres of distance between them, instead of fusing back into the sea, he went up. Leviathan irrupted through the surface, rising above sea level while twisting and turning as to face the advancing fleet.

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"We're gaining on the wave, sir!" A soldier informed as he popped his head inside the door of the bridge.

They had driven the engines to the max and beyond, making the engineers fear and cringe on the possibility of them breaking up from exhaustion. Still, it appeared to be worth the risk. The giant wave that tormented them was falling behind on the chase. They might just survive that ordeal after all.

"What the hell is that?" A soldier on the front edge of the bridge let out as he gripped tightly on the binoculars he held in front of him.

He spotted something coming out of the waters ahead of them. It was nothing like he had ever seen, almost like a giant, blue snake...

_What is it now...?_ Commander Crais could only think as he approached the man's position. Any and everything he could possibly imagine going wrong had come to pass on that day. What could possibly happen now to worsen their terrible situation?

"Give me that!" The commander spat as he reached the other man and all but snatched the binoculars out of his unwary hands.

He looked through the lenses, not knowing what to expect anymore. He saw the same snake as the other man and for a long moment he could have sworn the creature was staring back at him.

He removed the binoculars, looking at the distance as they approached the beast hovering high above the waters. What could possibly be that thing, he had to wonder.

Movement from the creature made him look through the binoculars again and he could only drop his jaw at what he saw...

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Leviathan screech loudly, the shrieking sound almost reaching the advancing armada. As if in response, the waters raged beneath him and receded, starting to rise behind him.

A new colossal wave grew slowly to the height of its sister but contrary to her, it remained abnormally still in place as if a barrier kept it from advancing, only moving upwards towards the equally blue skies.

The Sea Serpent stared hard against his master's targets, the ones he had been in charge of wiping form the face of the earth.

Once the wave was of satisfactory height, Leviathan screeched again and started to move, snaking forwards. The risen waters obediently followed as if an invisible dam had been broken. The wave came crashing forward, gaining in speed as they drew near the vulnerable fleet.

With the end eminent and no escape in sight for the galbadians, Leviathan disappeared into a rain of water that served to further fuel the frightening tsunami as it loomed over the vessels.

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"Commander, what do we do now, sir?" The men shouted, even daring to shake their commanding officer who refused to move.

"SIR!" All the calls were utterly ignored as he seemed to only be able to mumble barely coherent words.

"It's over... there's no point trying... death is upon us... it's over..."

"Sir! Snap out of it!" One of the soldiers had gone to the point of slapping the man but it was no use, there was no reaction whatsoever.

"Leave him, he's lost it!" Another soldier yelled out. "Turn the ship! We'll try to outrun its length. Maybe we'll just make it!"

Most of the soldiers had already resigned to their fates, much like the commander, but a hand full of them still had the will to live, however quickly fading, and followed his words. The GENS turned to the side, searching for a way around the wave but they couldn't even glimpse the end of the tunnel.

As the large battleship turned, all the occupants of the bridge saw was water. Water beneath them, water to both sides of them... Water in front of them...

The edges of both waves had gathered and now advanced towards them. Surrounded from all sides, the Galbadians could only curse their luck and fate.

"It's over... We're dead."

The dual colossus crashed together, crushing everything in between them in a midst of chaos, destruction and some explosions. The sheer force and pressure of the waters obliterated the galbadian armada, dragging its remains under into an eternal watery grave...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"And that's that. Problem solved." Zanya stated rather pleased with herself, stretching her muscles as if she had done all the work. "We got nothing more to worry about those galbadians."

"Geez, girl... I hope I never get you mad..." Mark had to comment, though not without a sense of surprise and admiration.

That particular girl had never been very smart, brawl over brains, she thought with her fists and spoke with her feet, usually on someone else's mouth. To see how much she had grown as to think to do something like that. Sure, the path of destruction she'd leave behind would always be there, and getting wider by the second, but she had certainly grown, and not only more destructive.

The other SeeDs cheered and congratulated her on her accomplishment and on the new GF she had acquired. Leviathan was also awkwardly pleased with the praise and the attention, his previous master everything but a complementing man... well, being.

With the giddiness dying down, it was time to get back to business.

"We should head back, report to the headmaster." Mark reasoned, getting everyone's attention, especially the recently reunited SeeDs.

"Cid is also here?" Quentin wondered, confused as he was under the impression he would never leave Garden.

"Of course." Nida replied. "You should probably also want to go back to Garden. You must be tired." He added, not fully realising how strange that sentence sounded to the absent SeeDs, or knowing and teasing them.

"I don't understand." Inara stated, voicing her companions' thoughts as they only nodded in agreement.

"You'll see." Xu added to the mix, finding the confused look on Quentin's face extremely adorable.

She couldn't wait to see his face when he first glimpsed at the mobile form of the Garden.

"Yeah, you're totally gonna trip over it!" Zanya added, keeping smiling widely.

"Oh c'mon, tell!" Sorphan insisted but Zanya refused, turning and walking ahead as to avoid the dreadful persuasive powers of the tall brunet, who immediately proceeded to pout.

"Ahmm... What about this thing here?" The cadet, Carol, wondered, obviously referring to the large armoured tank all dented and beat up that stood in the middle of the plaza.

"Ohh, right!" Sorphan let out as he hopped over to it, stretching his arms as if to hug it. "Can I keep it?"

He sounded as if the Iron Clad was a stray dog and he wanted his parents to let him feed and care for it, instead of a weapon of massive destruction.

When he got no general answer, he focused his gaze on Schala, doing his puppy-dog eyes. Half-expecting that, Schala looked away before getting hit with the full effect.

"You'll have to talk with the Headmaster about that..." She quickly dodged the responsibility over the matter. "For now you can leave it there. It's not like anyone is gonna take it for a joyride." She added.

The only one that could even think about doing something like that was Sorphan himself, so as far as the rest of FH's population was concerned, no one would even go near that thing if they could help it.

"Ohhh... alright..." He let out, resigned and immediately Inara went to him to reassure him.

"It's ok, honey." She told him in a sweet voice. "I'm sure Headmaster Cid will let you keep it."

"You really think so?" He wondered, truly sounding hopeful to which the red headed woman could only smile and nod.

They walked away leaving the remaining SeeDs, cadets and Rian looking at them with odd eyes. Some things indeed never changed, though to be honest some should...

"There's also some attack vessels the galbadians left behind by the docks..." The male cadet with a bow commented once the _commotion_ was gone. "That and the prisoners..."

"You're right Ori." Mark nodded, turning to the black haired SeeD that was guarding the tied up soldiers. "Hey, Sue!"

The woman turned to acknowledge the call, nodding her head to indicate she was listening.

"Round them up for transport. We'll lock them up in Garden and figure out what to do with them later." He yelled back and she nodded, instructing the others near her to help her getting the soldiers ready to move.

"As for the ships, we can leave them there and pick them up later, like with the tank. No one should mess with them." He added to the remaining SeeDs.

With everyone in agreement, they started to move to return to Garden. Sorphan and Inara had stopped ahead, realizing they didn't know where they were supposed to be heading, and Quentin walked hand in hand with Xu who, Schala assumed, wouldn't let go of that hand any time soon.

Schala, however, stayed still, her eyes suddenly catching sight of something she had almost forgotten about.

"Schala, aren't you coming?" Zanya called out as she, once again, had been the only one to notice the gunblader had stayed behind.

Their attention drawn, all turned back to face the brunette who slowly turned her head to face them.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up in a bit." She told them, shifting her gaze to whatever had caught her attention.

When the SeeDs followed her eyes and saw what had gotten her focus, they figured out what was going on. Mayor Dobe sat still as a mouse in a corner of the plaza. He still seemed pretty shaken up with the whole events of the morning.

Schala had something to do, something to say and their presence would not be necessary, even dispensable for that, so they took their leave and moved to abandon the plaza.

All except Rian who insisted in speaking with her before he returned and let her have her conversation with the mayor. So, as Sue, Mark, Nida and the cadets moved the restrained soldiers out of the plaza, Rian stepped in Schala's line of vision, almost startling her as she didn't notice he hadn't left with the others.

"You gave me another puzzle piece, you know?" He simply said, making her frown as she didn't follow. "And I didn't even had to struggle very hard to get this one either." He added with a smile.

She was getting confused, and she didn't like that feeling.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him and his smile softened.

"You're happy."

That three word reply wasn't nearly as satisfactory as she wanted. It didn't even make sense. In which context? She didn't get it...

"You looked and sounded very happy." He elaborated. "Happy to see them safe. Happy to have them back."

_I did? I am?_ Schala wondered, her frown deepening as she pondered it. Well, she was relieved to see them again, she had already reached and accepted that conclusion. She wasn't sure happy was the right term for it...

"I've rarely seen you with such honest, unclouded eyes..." He added, standing closer to her.

Schala barely realized he was standing just centimetres away when she raised her head and came nose to nose with him. She was somewhat startled but didn't move forward or back. She had grown used to his presence, it no longer bothered her so.

"You were happy." He repeated, keeping her stare with his dark chocolate eyes.

Not for the first time, Schala found something relaxing and alluring about that peaceful and affectionate stare. It made her feel... nice.

"Maybe I was." She confessed, to both him and herself.

She was happy they were safe, that they were back near her. She had missed them more than she cared to admit. It felt good to have the gang back together.

"You absolutely were." He stated. "It's only normal. They're your friends after all."

_Friends, huh... _Schala wondered. Yes, she supposed they were... she had grown to depend on them despite her greatest efforts, she was the first to admit THAT. Though it would take a while for her to say it out loud.

"I wonder..." Rian started barely above a whisper, barely loud enough for the girl to understand him. "Would you be so worried if I had gone and so relieved and happy at my return..."

_Huh?_ Schala wondered, not having caught all of his words. She was about to question him but he raised his eyes and smiled as if he hadn't realised he had spoken out loud, however lowly it had come out.

"I'll meet you back in Garden." He added and left the same path the others had taken, back into town, though she could no longer see them now that she looked.

He had said something, she was sure of it, but she hadn't understood it. Something inside of her accused some curiosity but it wasn't strong enough for her to chase after him and ask about it. It probably wasn't anything important, she reasoned.

Her attention then returned to the mayor as he still remained in the same spot she had practically forced him to go in the beginning of the battle. He was frozen in place, either in shock of the violence of what he'd seen or astonishment of surviving such an ordeal.

In either case, she couldn't leave things at that. She had to talk to him, try to make him understand.

She thought of a lot of things to say to him on her short trek to his position, but once she got in front of him and his debilitated face rose to meet her, only a few words came out.

"I'm sorry..." She paused for a moment, detecting some confusion in his eyes. She was glad to detect anything, he seemed rather dead to the world.

The older man lowered his head, either in thought or understanding. But that wasn't all she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry not for what we did..." She repeated, making the mayor's eyes focus but not meet her gaze, "... but that we had to do it."

There was nothing she'd want more than to respect the locals' wishes and not resort to violence to solve matters such as these. She wished she hadn't the need to stain the streets with blood but... if presented with the choice of fighting to protect the people or not fighting and letting them die, she would fight... every single time.

Having spoken her peace, Schala turned to leave but halted as she heard the mayor standing behind her. She half turned to face him. His face still seemed a bit out of it, but was considerably better.

"I understand..." He said and started to walk away.

He might understand what led her to do what she did, but that didn't mean he had to accept it, she pondered. That was good enough, at least for her.

He continued walking, slowly, speaking again though never breaking his pace.

"Our technicians will start working on your Garden as soon as you want." He simply said as if it was not that important and left at a steady slow pace.

Schala breathed deeply in newfound relief. In the back of her head she feared the mayor would kick them all out of town for fighting, even if it was to save their lives. Seemed like he really did understand her. She was glad for that.

She started walking herself, finally making to leave the blood stained plaza. She wanted nothing more than to go back to Garden and wash out the stains into a nice warm bath.

"Well said..." An old male voice suddenly sounded from somewhere near her just as the Mayor fell out of sight.

Looking to the side, Schala saw an old man in green overalls at the bottom of the ramp that rounded and rose above the train station plaza. The man seemed unscathed almost as if he hadn't been involved in the events that had just taken place in that very spot. Come to think of it, Schala couldn't recognize his face among the locals they had rescued, not that she looked very closely.

Ignoring the lack of recollection, Schala focused on his words. Had he been listening in on their, rather one sided, conversation?

Ignoring her musings, the old man continued.

"On both sides, I should add."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hello people!! As promised, I didn't take so long to update as the last time. Aren't we proud and happy? XD_

_I liked writing this chapter so I hope you liked it too :). It was fun to make a gun-crazed Sorphan (thanks Rosy for the inspiration in your Selphie and a certain rocket launcher ;P) and the Iron Clad turning against the soldiers was a classic I couldn't ignore. After all, if the SeeDs were hiding inside the thing, the least they could do is wreck some havoc ;P. As for the part after that, I wanted to bring out Levi and do that scene in the sea where the ships are swallowed by giant waves... that was cool ;P_

_Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this one (though shorter than the latest ones). Feel free to return whenever you wish._

_Take care and... _

_Read ya later _

_Revir **_


	35. Chapter 35: New Directions

_AN.: Exceptionally, I'm adding a little AN before the chapter, mostly to say I'm sorry for not updating for over a year and to say I'm back, but still writing my masters' thesis, so I ask of you, my beloved readers... Be patient with me :)._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. That's it, that's all I wanted to say. Read and enjoy._

**Chapter 35 – New Directions**

"So... are you telling us where we're going or you're not gonna tell us even that?" Sorphan wailed as the gang slowly rose on the cargo lift.

The awe of the shiny solar panel disk – to which Sorphan actually squealed "Shiny!" – had blown away the instant it was no longer in view and he had started nagging his friends again on what had happened and how they got there. His answer was always the same.

"Nopes!" Zanya replied cheerfully, not even looking back at him for fear of the surely pouting face and puppy-dog eyes he was indeed showing.

Zanya hadn't budged an inch into telling the three missing SeeDs what had happened during their absence, and it was driving Sorphan nuts. She even prevented others from spilling the beans, like Rian and Xu but also the other senior SeeDs and cadets that had stayed behind to watch over and guide the galbadian prisoners back to Garden in an orderly fashion. Whenever Sorphan seemed like he was going to address one of them, Zanya would stand in the middle and would not allow anyone to spoil the fun she would have when Sorphan saw it for the first time.

It was impressive and stunning even for her and she had been there for the whole show when the Garden became mobile. Sorphan, for his distinctive like of shiny, pretty and big things, was going to go nuts over it.

The lift finally reached the top and they were greeted by a hard copy of the man who operated the lower lift's controls.

"How..." Sorphan started, sharing some of the other SeeDs' astonishment, but the young man cut them off.

"Hey! You people just can't lay low, huh?" Carl, one of the triplets, said but his tone wasn't as harsh as they were expecting

"We're..." Some started, but were immediately cut off.

"Don't apologise." He said kindly. "You saved our lives, even after we told you off. We should be thanking you."

"There's no need for that." Xu replied.

Zanya glanced sideways as if somewhat disagreeing. The locals had been more than rude and they suffered through their abuse. Despite the townsfolk's appal for violence, they had to use violence to save them. The least they could do was thank them... throw a buffet or a parade or something in their honour...

She bit her tongue as Xu's stare, reinforced by Quentin's – who had not left her side ever since they had been reunited – cut off her comments by the root. They would not have the martial artist's crude remarks throw the tender accord they had managed to achieve down the drain... no matter how much they shared her sentiments.

"Alright then, don't let me keep you..." Carl continued, standing to the side to allow them exit off the lift.

The SeeDs and Rian got off, waving off or nodding goodbye, as they got on their way with Sorphan momentarily forgetting to ask about where they were going after that event.

"And thanks." Carl had to add while they walked away, drawing some more smiles and nods.

Seemed like at least a few people had finally understood them and that felt nice. Even the mayor, when he finally returned to his home and after greeting all the fellow locals that had gathered there under the SeeDs' protection, approached them confirming their aid in the repairs whenever they received their leader's consent.

That relieved the SeeDs that seemed to have nothing more to worry about, at least for the time being.

They continued to cross the catwalks with Sorphan still wondering on the likeness of the two lift operators, but his query was completely forgotten when, after rounding a particularly wide tower, the first glimpse of the "docked" Balamb Garden came into view.

They stopped and just stared, initially at a loss for words appropriate to the situation.

"WOAH!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala stared at the old man as both stood in the ruins of the train station plaza now marked by battle. The old man in green overalls had shown up out of nowhere, apparently unaffected by the fighting, and just spoke that one line.

She wasn't sure what to think of the man. He seemed to know all that had happened but had taken no part in any of the events that had passed. She wondered if he had spent the whole time cowering in his home, watching through the blinds of the windows.

"But I must say... you made quite a mess here... it's gonna give a lot of work to clean it up." He said half jokingly half serious.

It was true the plaza was going to need some serious remodelling, not to mention the physical and psychological effort it would take to clean up the bodies all over town. A necessary evil...

"Who are you?" Schala had to ask, tired of wondering without a possibility of uncovering his identity on her own.

The old man was taken aback by the question, suddenly not expecting it and displaying an ever so slight sign of embarrassment.

"Where are my manners, really..." He started but didn't immediately answer her. "People around here call me 'Master Fisherman', MF for short. Nice to meet you." He added, though not really offering his hand as if knowing she wouldn't take it.

Schala was expecting something a little bit more specific, a name instead of a title, but the man didn't seem inclined on elaborating his presentation. _"Master Fisherman"?_ _What's up with that?_ It didn't enlightened her on his identity at all.

The MF smiled as if he could read her thoughts.

"Yeah, I just like to fish a lot." He added and Schala came to the realization that was all she was going to get out off him on that matter.

_Why am I interested, anyway?_ She wondered with a light frown as she made to pass by him and return to the Garden. She was almost out of the battle worn plaza when she felt the old man keeping her pace a couple of steps behind.

She halted immediately and half turned to give him a _"What is it now?"_ look and the old man stopped too. He was still smiling.

"I'll walk with you on your way back to your Balamb Garden." He stated to her surprise. "It's the least I can do after your life-saving services." He added as she remained motionless.

Her already serious expression tightened.

"How do you know about Balamb Garden?" She inquired, her tone harsher than before.

Though taken slightly back by her hostile reaction, the Master Fisherman didn't waver as he recovered the 2-second lost smile.

"Oh, that... That's right, you probably aren't aware." He replied with a small pause. "We were the ones that did the paintjob on Balamb Garden back in the days. The blue marine motif, my idea." He added proudly.

Schala frowned, subsequently raising an eyebrow in minor doubt. After a moment, she reasoned on the possibility. The people of FH certainly seemed able to carry out such a job, not to mention that being a small town, performing outside work was a necessity.

"Yup," The MF continued, redrawing the teen's attention, "Of course at the time it was stationary back in Balamb Island, but such a high level work is unmistakable. Though, I must confess I found it somewhat hard to identify our workmanship as it tried to kill me... still, there was a tinge of recognition back then..."

"What?" Schala reacted in surprise of his statement.

"Oh, I was down at the towers when you arrived... it was quite an entrance." He continued. "I had to run for my life." He added as though he was referring to a walk in the park.

There was an awkward pause while Schala processed the information. She hadn't thought there had been anyone injured, the mayor certainly hadn't mention it.

"I'm sorry..." She said but the old man waved her apologies away.

"Don't worry about it. It takes more than a three storey high giant fish shaped mobile colossus to kill me." He said with pride Schala felt he shouldn't have.

"Enough of that." He continued. "How about that tour now, huh?"

Shaking her head at the old man's strange antics, Schala started processing his offer. It hadn't sounded much like a request, so she would probably have no choice in the matter anyway. She wasn't very pleased, though, with the sudden escort. It wasn't as if she couldn't find her way back on her own. The town wasn't big enough to enable her to get lost. On the other hand, the headmaster had instructed her to look around town and "be nice" to the locals. Considering their arrival had nearly killed the man, it felt like she really had no choice but to tolerate the old man's company.

She nodded and the Master Fisherman had to smile at the revealing frown in her expression. She was obviously not pleased.

"Well, c´mon then." He called out, moving ahead of her into town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sorphan was impossible to handle all the short way through the feelingly endless catwalks leading up back into Garden. He shot a hundred questions a minute and not only did he not give as little as a second for any of them to throw a reply, he didn't even seem to be taking a breath.

It was so bad that even Zanya, the main responsible for his eager state brought by the suspense of not knowing what was going on, started to regret the whole deal. His initial stunned beyond words state at seeing the mobile form of Balamb Garden had been priceless, but the second and a half it lasted could not possibly compensate the nagging minutes that followed, which felt like hours in everyone's head.

The only possible exception was Inara. Ever since their reunion down by the plaza, when they were finally able to get off their soldier disguises, the red headed sharpshooter had stood smiling by his side, never deterred by the annoying and rather alarming high pitch tone his voice was taking. She just nodded and smiled as he asked again and again, often repeating the same queries over and over...

"Does it really move? Is it really Balamb Garden? Did it escape the missiles? How did it escape the missiles? Can it really move on land? How does it move on land? How does it move on water? How does it move at all? Does it fly? How fast can it go? How is it piloted? Does it have weapons? Does it have like force shields? Did it shield itself against the missiles? Did it shoot the missiles down with weapons...?"

On and on like a Gatling gun that never ran out of bullets. So it was with extreme relief that the teens rounded the last tower, climbed the last catwalk and arrived at the second floor balcony where a handful of SeeDs and cadets kept watch.

"We're here!" Sorphan almost squealed in happiness.

"Oh, thank Hyne!" Zanya let out. She loved Sorpahn dearly – as a friend – but sometimes, he was just insufferable.

"This is awesome!" Sorphan continued while the remaining teens backed off, giving room for him to, well... be Sorphan.

"Hey! It's you guys!" Some of the guarding SeeDs and cadets let out as they hopped down to the balcony.

The commotion in town had placed even the guarding personnel on guard and even though FH was now silent, they still didn't know exactly what was going on.

"Long time no see." Quentin said, for the first time since Sorphan had not given them a breath to put a word in ever since the Garden came into view.

"Where did you come from?" The others wondered, seeing that neither Sorphan nor Quentin had been on Garden while it moved and, as far as they were aware, no one knew where they were.

"We're back!" Sorphan cheered loudly and making such a fuss, the others could only forget their questions and smile at the childish tall brunet young man.

"Well... This is unexpected." The familiar aged voice drew the SeeDs and Rian from their reprise and startled them back into the second floor balcony.

"Headmaster Cid!" Quentin started, for the first time releasing his hold on Xu's hand as he rose in salute.

The Headmaster had just crossed the threshold of the access door leading to the balcony, having stood on the inside of the second floor conversing with some staff till the commotion caused by the newcomers caught his attention.

Saying the old man and the accompanying SeeDs and cadets were surprised would be the understatement of the season. The last people any of them were expecting to see waltzing through the catwalks in the middle of the ocean were the missing SeeDs that had stayed behind to delay the missile launch. Not only were they alive, but they had appeared in a tricky situation on which, certainly, their intervention helped to solve.

His kids never ceased to amaze him.

"Headmaster Cid!" Sorphan interrupted everyone's thoughts as he practically tackled the older man who, were it not for the SeeDs standing behind him, would have toppled over.

"Well, now..." He said with as much dignity as he could muster while being hugged tightly by a young man almost twice his height. "It's good to see you again too, Sorphan... Quentin." He added with a meaningful nod and tone requesting to be released...

...Which went completely ignored by the tall teen.

"I'm so happy to see you all!" Sorphan cheered, lessening his hold but not releasing completely. "Garden too!" He added. "It's great to know at least one of my homes survived..."

The effusive cheerfulness of the reunion died down instantly as the meaning behind his words sunk in everyone's hearts. As far as any of them knew, Galbadia Garden had been commandeered by the Galbadian military forces lead by the Sorceress and Trabia Garden had been destroyed by missiles. The fate of all SeeDs, cadets and headmasters of the two facilities remained unknown.

The sheer happiness of seeing Balamb Garden safe and sound after fearing its destruction was not enough to erase the loss they were certain to have sustained.

"Sorphan..." Inara called out soothingly as he threatened to start sobbing, which she knew would spread among the rest of them like an epidemic.

She gently detached him from the headmaster, allowing him to hug her instead while stroking his head , now buried on her smelly and scratchy military uniformed shoulder.

Cid himself had to take a moment to compose himself – both from the assault and from the sudden surge of emotional conflict –, a moment certainly no one took notice of since all seemed to be in need for it. He raised his head, focusing on the hugged pair.

"And who might this young lady be?" The headmaster inquired as to the identity of his saviour, without whom he would probably still being squeezed half out of breath, though he had his suspicions.

She was also wearing the galbadian military uniform, like his two missing SeeDs, which suggested she had been with them, probably undercover in the galbadians' ship. Her posture and how they were all comfortable with each other, including Zanya and Rian, also suggested they had known each other for a while, implying she wasn't just a soldier who had gone rogue. Then there was the precision shotgun the young woman carried with her, definitely not standard military issued. In fact, it reminded him strongly of the Galbadian Headmistress. If the sniper were ever to take someone under her wing, that young red headed girl would be right up that alley.

Sorphan raised his head for a moment as the pair turned to face the headmaster and Quentin stepped forward.

"My apologies, Headmaster Cid," Quentin started, saluting once more. "This is Inara Kinneas. She's a Galbadian SeeD assigned by Headmistress Martine to accompany us in Galbadia's territory." He provided, with Inara nodding affirmatively next to him.

Quentin bit his tongue not to say she was assigned as the sniper in the _"Assassinate the Sorceress"_ mission given by the Galbadian Mistress. He felt the discussion of such a sensitive matter would be better approached in a more private environment.

As if sensing the instructor's thoughts, Headmaster Cid promptly deviated the topic to a less sensitive subject.

"Well then, welcome to Balamb Garden Miss Kinneas." He greeted her whom managed to nod over the mountain of brown hair buried in her shoulder.

Hold on... Inara Kinneas? The Headmaster suddenly realized. Indeed, that abundant red hair and the way she and the tall brunet stuck together were unmistakable. He paused for a moment, looking over all of his children who were finally together again.

"I'll be looking forward to listen to your report." He added, which made Sorphan finally compose himself, allowing for all SeeDs to give a reply salute.

"If you are up to it, I would like to hear it now." He told them. "That way, you can rest up for the day."

After a short shared look, the teens all nodded in agreement. Cid nodded as well, turning his attention to Xu.

"I assume the situation in town is back in order. Where's Schala?" He wondered aloud what had been in his thoughts for a while now.

True, at first with the tall brunet's crushing welcome, he hadn't noticed the other brunette's absence. But as the commotion settled, he realised she was nowhere to be seen. He'd figured she'd be the first of them to return, or at the very least the most eager... as eager as the teen could get anyways.

"Everyone and everything is returning to normal, Sir." Xu provided in order of query, though she had the impression he was more curious about the latter.

"Schala stayed behind to confirm with the mayor their offer to help repair the Garden." She continued. "We got the confirmation as the mayor returned to his home. His technicians and engineers are just waiting for your consent to start bringing in the gear and assess the damage."

"Schala was not with him?" The headmaster wondered.

The others shook their heads.

"She must have stayed behind to look around the town... perhaps to make sure everyone was alright and everything was in order." Xu added, unsure if that was indeed the case.

"I see..." Headmaster Cid managed to reply with an equally amused and intrigued smile on his face.

He never thought the serious and usually indifferent youth to stay behind on her own to check out the town. Had his earlier request been responsible for that, as if it was an order, or was the girl really starting to loosen up a bit? He was sure she was more than happy to be reunited with her friends and know they were safe, though she'd never let it show. But, could those feelings have released the self placed restraints around her heart?

"Oh, there's also about a dozen surrendered soldiers left over from the battle." Xu suddenly remembered, receiving Quentin's support.

"Yes, Mark was rounding them up to bring them over in an orderly fashion." Quentin added.

Cid frowned for a moment. SeeD usually weren't in the habit of taking prisoners. But then again, they had never been in a situation quite like that one before.

"I'll have the remaining staff standing by to assist them on their arrival." The headmaster said.

He turned to head back inside the Garden, expecting the SeeDs and Rian to follow after him, when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back to the balcony, zeroing on a tall man, slightly older than the rest, with short, perfectly combed blond hair and glasses, wearing the SeeD uniform.

"Terry." He called out, causing for the man to stand in attention. "Go back to the mayor's house and tell him we appreciate and accept his offer to help fixing the Garden."

Terry nodded in compliance.

"You may start bringing in the engineers and workers. Oh, and be sure to help Mark in bringing the prisoners through the catwalks." He added as he remembered it.

"Yes, sir." Terry replied with a salute, immediately breaking into a jog across the pathways leading back into town.

"Well, then..." The headmaster restarted as soon as the SeeD was out of sight and turning to the SeeDs already with a foot through the access door. "Shall we?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Well then, take care now."

Schala nodded respectfully at the extremely short innkeeper as she and the Master Fisherman left the establishment. Nodding back, the middle aged woman pressed some hidden button that lowered the stratum behind the counter and quickly fell outta sight.

Schala had been surprised at the resourcefulness of the woman who was so short she barely reached her waist line. As the counter of the, as far as she had noticed, only Inn in town, was of normal height, the woman had installed a type of lift behind it in order to be able to face her customers or whoever came to her place. Ingenious indeed.

She stepped out after the old fisherman catching him talking to an old drunkard that didn't even seem interested in standing up, seeming more concerned to the state and level in his wine bottle.

She sighed as she saw the two men catch up on the events of the day. The old man had dragged her all over town. After leaving the plaza, he insisted in taking her through the path surrounding it instead of heading straight towards the Garden. She resisted the detour but the M.F. was even more insisting saying he had to step into his house for something... Schala had already given up on the argument and just followed along.

On the way, he stopped by a house that seemed completely unaffected by the events of that morning. The man had his windows opened to the max, apparently airing his home which threw smoke through every nook and crevice.

The Master Fisherman introduced the other man as a craftsman and Schala could see several sculptures and figurines resting on the window sill which seemed to confirm his title. She was surprised that there was more to the town's inhabitants than just engineers that like fixing stuff, though she really shouldn't be. It is unreasonable to think that everyone would dedicate themselves to a single profession.

Her attention was drawn from her thoughts and recent memories as the MF got up and nodded her along, signalling the continuance of her tour through Fisherman's Horizon. Resisting a deep sigh, Schala followed suit as the old man headed towards a small pier just to the side of the road.

Schala recalled the place from her first intervention against the soldiers attacking FH, when they came to the rescue of a young boy and an old man. When they left them, they were bickering, but now they found themselves in opposite sides of the pier, the kid apparently fishing while the shopkeeper cleaned the front of his store, sweeping away the traces of the morning battle.

The Master Fisherman entered the pier and the old man immediately stopped sweeping to greet him and the kid on the small boat across the platform all but jumped up in excitement, ending up almost splashing on the deep waters around him.

Paying him no mind, or merely not noticing, the old man approached the junk shop and its owner who stood right next to it, ready to greet him.

"Hello! It's been a while now!" The Master Fisherman greeted warmly, completing it with a handshake. "How are you, Bob?"

"_Bob",_ the shop owner, smiled widely as he shook the older man's hand.

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine!" He replied enthusiastically. "It would take more than those thugs to run me off my shop!" He added proudly.

Schala looked over to the two men's exchange. Were it not for their intervention, those thugs would have been more than enough to run the man off his shop... shabby looking place as it was...

"Though, they did try to." Bob continued

"And you fought them off?" The MF wondered, not believing the story entirely.

"Ahh, well..." The man hesitated. "I was holding my own, protecting the kid and all... But you know how I'm not a violent man..."

The Master Fisherman could say that for just about everyone living in Fisherman's Horizon... though that particular man wasn't as pacific in mind as the rest of them.

"But I got some assistance..." Bob continued, getting the MF's attention. "These three young warriors came outta nowhere and took care of them before I got a chance, you know..."

_Three young warriors, huh?_ The MF wondered as he was sure it had been one of the SeeD squads to show up and save the old shopkeeper's ass.

The man kept nodding, looking over the other man's shoulder as if only noticing his companion for the first time.

"One of them looked just like your young escort there... Hold on..." He paused as he focused on the young woman.

Schala stared back at the man as recognition, and possibly the memory of her timely intervention, passed through his mind's eye. His jaw hung and eyes widened as he slowly raised his hand to point at her.

"It was you!" Bob said, causing the MF to switch his stare between the two.

He didn't look that surprised to learn the young SeeD had saved one of his older friends that day. In fact, she had saved them all. He focused on her for a while longer and was pleased and surprised with what he saw in her. Better yet, what he didn't see.

That young woman had just been the main responsible for saving not only his friend but an entire town, yet there was no boasting or superior attitude, no arrogance, no pride. She hadn't done it for fame or to gain their favour or debt. Her sole purpose seemed to have been to actually help and protect.

That was definitely no ordinary mercenary mentality. Whatever the headmaster had been teaching in that military academy, he was doing a hell of a good job.

"You saved us! I didn't even have a chance to thank you..." Bob continued talking, completely ignoring the MF's presence for a moment.

And he gave no chance for the girl to reply or dismiss his thanks as she had been receiving and dismissing from just about everyone else she'd met on her "tour" of the town.

"I'm not _pro_ violence, you know. In fact it was that shared feeling of ours that led us to abandon our home at war to look for a place where violence was neither a part nor the focus of our lives." The man continued, now gaining momentum to whatever he was talking about.

"We came across that bridge..." He continued, signalling the Horizon Bridge behind them, "and stopped here and that's when we decided to use this old support construction station for the bridge as our new home, free of our old lives..."

Schala wondered exactly from where across the bridge they had come from to escape the war. Hyne knew, some years ago, almost the whole world was at war so that was not a specific factor. However the man never gave her or the MF a chance to intervene.

He seemed to have lost himself in his memories and completely forgotten what they were talking about in the first place.

"We named it Fisherman's Horizon... In fact, it was you who named it..." He added, turning to face the Master Fisherman who could only smile at his old friend's antics and melancholy.

"Such inspirational name..." He continued. "How you took the Fisherman's symbolizing the peacefulness and serenity of the act to our undying search of a home without war."

"Then the Horizon, a reference of the way we embrace and head towards our future with an open spirit and intended purpose..." He started getting emotional, with even a tear in the corner of his eye for the finishing touch. "Truly inspiring!"

Both listeners stared at the man with incredulity at the passion he spoke of his home and the pride he had in their struggle and beliefs. Schala focused her gaze on the Master Fisherman. For some reason, Schala doubted that such inspiring meaning and deep thoughts were behind the naming of their settlement there.

The MF's sudden embarrassment seemed to confirm it.

"Actually..." The Master Fisherman started, redrawing the attention back to him. "I just really like fishing and thought what a great place it was for it and with such a beautiful view over the horizon..."

The other man didn't react.

"In fact," He saw the need to continue, "That's also the reason I named the bridge that... It really is a very nice view..."

Silence reigned in the small pier as if Siren had used her powers.

_Figured as much..._ Schala wondered, shaking her head at the silliness of the situation.

But such doubt had never crossed the other man's thoughts. His grand ideals, the deep meaning behind their town's name shattered as the man started babbling incoherently to himself, temporarily disconnected from reality.

The MF scratched his head in both embarrassment and guilt. He knew his friend held him in high regard, but didn't expect it to be that bad.

"Mumbling, mumbling..." Bob continued.

"What was that?" The Master Fisherman wondered as this came out louder as if addressing him.

"That... that was..." Bob repeated, now loud enough to be understood.

"THAT WAS IT!" He cried out in exasperation. "Our town's name is what it is because _You were thinking of FISHING_!"

To his credit, the MF kept his ground and didn't flinch at the outburst. Either he had achieved a state of serenity in which things like those didn't affect him... or he was used to it.

"Well... we'd been travelling for a while..." He chose to add. "I was getting hungry..."

Whatever comment or continuance the conversation, or rather the awkward scolding, was coming after, it was interrupted as the fisherkid – who seemed to finally be able to get out of the little boat without falling into the ocean – jumped in between the two older men.

"Enough of that, ya old fart! Who cares where the name came from?" He let out, turning his back to the 'old fart' in question and facing the MF. "Good afternoon, Master!"

"Hello Timmy." The MF replied. "I'm glad you're alright after this morning's commotions." He added.

"Thank you, sir!" The boy beamed as if he'd just been praised by the older man's concern.

Watching their exchange, Schala couldn't stop but notice the difference in treatment the MF received from the boy in relation to the shopkeeper. Though the boy seemed to revere and follow the old fisherman, to her, in a conscious or unconscious part of her mind, the relationship to the other man felt warmer and closer.

"Is it true, you were still fishing when the Garden came smashing towards the docks?" Timmy enthusiastically asked with shiny eyes.

That particular subject made Schala slightly uncomfortable. She'd heard from the man that he had indeed been there at their destructive arrival and damn nearly got him killed. The disturbance and danger their coming there had brought to the locals bothered her somewhat.

"That's right! I was there till the last possible second." The old man boasted.

Truth was, when he realised what was happening and the danger he was in, he couldn't care less about the fishing but only for his dear life. And the only reason he had stayed there till the last possible minute was solely due to the fact he had a slow reaction time to his own impending demise.

But his "_apprentice_" didn't need to know that.

"Amazing... Such dedication and courage..." The boy let out causing a mix of pride and shame in the MF.

"I knew you were a great man! Some people don't know what they're talking about!" He added, thinking back on often heard spoken words by some townsfolk, calling him useless and a loser.

He had never believed that from his Master.

"Yeah, that's right!" The MF agreed, frowning as the meaning behind the words kicked in. "Wait... What?"

Schala could almost smile in a mix of amusement, exasperation and hopelessness. She couldn't tell who was worse... The delusional kid placing the MF in a fishing pedestal; the old shopkeeper, disillusioned to the MF's grand dept of thought; the MF for kidding himself and stringing the kid along to his mock achievements... or her, for standing there watching and listening to the whole ridiculous thing...

"Oh, will you see my form?" The kid turned, ignoring the older man's sudden lapse in composure. "Please, sir! I wanna be just like you when I grow up, will you see how far I've come since last time? You promised!"

Timmy stared hard into the old man's eyes, putting on his best version of puppy-dog eyes, Schala thought had a long way to go till they reached Sorphan's level. Still, they seemed to work on the aged fisherman.

"Sure, go ahead." The Master Fisherman caved with a nod.

Timmy was beyond enthusiastic as he quickly turned and rushed to the end of the pier. He almost tripped but managed to turn his fall into a jump and landed safely, though awkwardly, in his small boat. He composed himself and reached for his fishing pole, standing in attention and ready to cast his line.

"HUAHH!"

As the Master Fisherman and Schala looked at the young boy, not sure what to expect from his performance, Bob hadn't stopped mumbling incredulously and in disbelief. Having barely paid any attention to the other two's exchange, he mumbled over losing his faith in the greater meaning of things and how his life seemed to have lost its meaning.

As if on cue, his collar started to pull on his throat, threatening to end his life right there and then.

Schala and the MF watched in surprise and a tinge of horror as the line cast by the boy, instead of going forward, went all the way back, over the shop sign and hooked on the old shopkeeper's collar, hanging him in his own shop.

While the MF had no reaction – apart from horror – Schala immediately sprung into action, rushing forward while drawing her gunblade. She sliced the fishing wire in one smooth motion, effectively saving the shopkeeper from a strenuous death.

Seconds later, the boy rushed in from his boat, after almost falling into the water again, and next to the shop where the Master Fisherman and Schala checked if Bob was alright after his life threatening ordeal. He seemed to be recovering and was about to thank Schala for saving his life – again – when he noticed the boy's approach.

"YOU!" He shouted, getting up in a jump despite his recent condition. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" He added as he neared the kid who had stopped his advance.

"YOU ALMOST GOT ME KILLED! YOU..." He paused, straining in his anger to find the appropriate word to describe just how much of a dumbass the boy had been...

_That's it!_

"DUMBASS!" He shouted even louder, making the kid flinch slightly.

"Gee..." Timmy mumbled to himself, quickly turning the tables and himself back to the shopkeeper in a fit. "I didn't do it on purpose, alright...?"

"WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE IS THAT? YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!"

"And you don't need to SHOUT, YA OLD FART! Are you deaf along with old?"

"WHY, YOU..."

Schala and the Master Fisherman shared a look. The scene was getting out of hand with those two arguing so fervidly and even though they both thought they should probably step in before it got, well... worse, if it were possible... Not one of them moved. They could only watch.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Thank you for your patience and sorry for depriving you from your long awaited and undoubtedly well deserved rest. You are dismissed."

With these words followed by the traditional salute, the teens left what was left of the headmaster's office towards the elevator. The moment they were out, Xu got a hold of Quentin's arm once again as if she was never letting it go.

The report had taken quite the time to delliver, with Quentin and Sorphan relaying the events ever since their imprisonment in D. District to the moment the Iron Clad touched ground in F.H. and they took over the MRV. At that time, their report was accompanied by Zanya and Xu's inputs on the events leading to the defence of the town.

They'd had been through quite a lot and Cid just wanted to get everything out of the way so as to allow them to rest for the rest of the day.

In fact, were it not for their sudden and, in posterior analysis, fortunate crash in the fishermen's town, he had fully intended to finally hear Schala's own report on the events that had passed, reason why he didn't ask the teens entering the elevator about them.

Schala had tried on several occasions to relay that information to him in the past few days, but Cid had had a lot on his mind. The chaos in the Garden, drifting and, well... it never felt like the right time.

Now that the Garden was no longer adrift, that they were in no immediate threat and some of the unaccounted SeeDs had returned. The time had come to learn all he could of what was going on.

And her report was bound to be even more extensive.

Cid leaned back on his chair, both it and his desk having miraculously survived the intrusion of the commanding bridge of the Garden.

He would wait for Schala to return and listen to her full report. Though, nothing she'd tell him could probably change his mind on what he was about to do. In fact, it would more than likely reinforce his resolve.

He was aware that she wouldn't think it was fair, that she would resist it and not accept it immediately.

But the truth was... she was probably their best chance of success...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Man... I want to sleep for a week! Can I?" Sorphan wailed, causing half the people in the elevator to stare and the other to laugh, all thinking the same thing.

"As if!" Zanya let out between laughs. "You couldn't stay in bed for a day, less alone a week."

"I'm inclined to agree." Quentin added and everyone burst into laughter as Sorphan pouted.

His annoyance lasted a full five seconds before he joined them, agreeing that it was probably never going to happen. Even if he was very, very tired.

"I dunno..." Inara started, carrying a mischievous smile as she snaked her arm around his. "I can think of some things that could keep him on his back for quite a while..."

The statement lingered in the air as everyone registered its meaning at different speeds.

"INARA!" Sorphan let out, a deep blush reddening his usually fair complexion.

"Aww, you're so cute!" She squealed before wrapping her arms around his neck and despite his visual embarrassment, he didn't move away.

While Quentin, Xu and Rian laughed at the duo's antics, after overcoming the awkwardness of the earlier implication, Zanya still looked somewhat puzzled.

The lift finally stopped, having reached the ground floor and the teens stepped out with Zanya taking the lead.

"What? You gonna drug him or somethin'?" The blonde martial artist let out as she turned ahead of them with some confusion still on her face.

It was the only thing she could think of that would keep the bubbling teen confined to a bed.

The others fell dead silent. No one knew quite what to say to her naive comment.

"I don't think..." Quentin started without really knowing how to complete it, but Inara stopped him by disentangling herself from Sorphan's neck and approaching the clueless blonde.

"I'll explain it to you..." Inara told her. "Lend me your ear."

Though slightly suspicious, Zanya allowed for the slightly taller teen to lean over her head and whisper in her ear. Her frown disappeared as her features turned from the usual complexion to pink... then red... an awkward shade of green and purple. Her mouth hanged ajar as her face acquired the brightest red colour imaginable.

The girl looked ready to pass out cold and Sorphan was divided between utter embarrassment and concern the girl could stop breathing, since her colour reminded him of a certain hot dog incident.

When Inara moved away, which to her credit took a whole lot of time, Zanya's skin colour barely looked human as she stumbled away. She almost tripped on her own feet while going down the stairs, mumbling incoherently to herself.

"What did you tell her?" Rian wondered aloud, though not truly very keen on knowing.

"It was a long list..." Inara teased with a mischievous smile.

She suddenly turned serious.

"But if you really want to know..."

"Nah, nevermind..." He swiftly replied and everyone laughed though... not a one wanted to know about it either.

All but Sorphan who, once the risk of Zanya fainting passed, turned to complete embarrassment.

"Why did you have to do that?" He questioned still carrying a moderate shade of red.

"Well... She asked." Inara replied, with not a care in the world.

"Still, Inara... I mean..."

"President Sorphan!" A voice called out from a near distance, making everyone, including Sorphan, to momentarily forget the conversational and embarrassing topic.

Sorphan frowned as the owner of the voice, a male cadet with short hair, approached him with a hurried pace. He placed his hands on his hips with an apparent annoyed expression, very uncharacteristic.

"I told you already, lose the _President_ bit..." Sorphan stated, making a face. "It sounds weird..." He wasn't comfortable with such a title.

"I'm sorry, Presss... Sorphan." The cadet corrected, though it was obvious he was uncomfortable in addressing him in such an informal manner.

"President Sorphan?" Inara questioned as the other two engaged in conversation.

She was both confused and curious at the same time. "President" did have a nice ring to it, but of what he was president, she couldn't begin to fathom.

"Garden Festival Committee." Quentin provided.

The news of his promotion, practically on arrival, had spread across the Garden like a gossip-virus. Everyone knew about it.

"Ahh..." Inara let out, smiling widely as it all made sense now.

There was no one else out there as spunky, cheerful and energetic as the tall brunet. She couldn't think of anyone else better for such a position of leadership in such a group.

"And you won't believe who else is a member..." Rian pitched in, already imagining the shock the red headed sharpshooter's face certainly not unlike his own at the time he found out.

But he never got the chance to break the news as...

"WHAT?" Sorphan's cry to whatever topic he was discussing with the young cadet interrupted any thought or intention in the group as all attention was refocused on the duo.

"I'm sorry, but it's true..." The young man repeated what the others hadn't heard the first time.

"It's ruined, completely destroyed!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala walked at a steady and calm pace, her boots clanging on the metallic catwalks with every step. She had finally been able to ditch her escort back at the small harbour – not without the help of aged related back pains – and she couldn't be happier to finally being alone.

She couldn't understand why had the headmaster wanted her to check out the town, that and why she had agreed to the old man's company in doing so. She could have perfectly wandered around for a bit then headed back on her own, but the so called "Master Fisherman" had dragged her all over the place.

It was hard to believe that it was little after noon considering everything that had happened that morning alone. Time was a funny thing, sometimes.

"Move to the side, please!" a voice called out dragging her from her thoughts.

While moving to the side of the railing, Schala turned to see a couple of FH's workmen moving towards her while carrying a handful of tools and devices she had never seen before in her life.

"Oh! Hi." The man on point greeted with an awkward nod while rushing past her and beyond the path.

Schala's frown was set even before his eyes left her face. She had noticed that, apart from the annoying triplet and the mayor's companion, the people that before watched her and the others with distrust, were now particularly nice and friendly. Not one but several people had offered goods in the manner of food or materials for her to take back to Garden, to which she had to politely refuse. If she had accepted every offer, she'd be carrying a ten metre high bundle of stuff.

Honestly? She'd rather they were still coy and wary, she was sure she would be getting far less attention.

Shaking her head and resuming her walk, Schala noticed that the closer she got to the awkwardly docked Garden, the louder the sound of machinery and people talking was heard. Her inner suspicions were confirmed when she rounded the last tower and Balamb Garden was finally in view.

Seemed Headmaster Cid had agreed to the locals' offer of help. The FH technicians had been true to their word and had started working on repairing the Garden. Two enormous cranes had just grown on the sides of the Garden as all sort of machinery and men surrounded and climbed up and down the massive blue structure, assessing the damages and determining exactly what needed to be fixed and how. It was amazing what they had gathered around it in such short notice.

Like they had said earlier, they really liked fixing stuff.

At the second floor balcony, the scene was similar. Instructor Mark Brandt talked loudly – the only way he knew how – with SeeDs, cadets and FH engineers alike. She couldn't tell exactly what was being said, but she caught something along the lines of "constructing", "cage" and "basement".

_Construct a cage in the basement... for the soldiers, of course_. Balamb Garden wasn't in the habit of taking prisoners and as such, lacked the proper means of holding them in such a numerous scale. The MD level would certainly be spacious enough to construct such a structure, that after they disposed of Norg's burned up giant pod that was still in there...

Schala moved beside them without being seen or if they saw her, amidst their discussion, they paid no attention to her. She passed through the open door and inside the second floor hallway, avoiding stepping on the thick cables that crossed the doorway and inner halls.

The Garden was hectic, but in a much better way than it had been a couple of days ago. The panic and uneasiness of not knowing where they were or where they were heading was now replaced by hope for the future and something to do. It felt oddly comfortable.

A familiar voice made her focus her attention to the entrance of one of the second floor class rooms where she found it belonged to Inara. The sharpshooter had obviously taken a shower as her short red hair still dripped slightly over her borrowed clothes, a simple white tank top and really short denim shorts, her own cowgirl boots dressing her feet.

She was talking to a SeeD – a woman with curly black hair she remembered being in FH fighting the galbadians – with both currently standing by the threshold of a classroom door. As she got closer she could tell their conversation circled around the prisoners and as she peered inside the room, she could see said prisoners being held with another hand full of SeeDs and cadets watching over.

Seemed the classroom had been transformed into a temporary detention area. That till the instructor arranged for the cell construction on the lower level.

Schala fully intended to pass by them without interrupting their exchange, mostly because she had no reason to do so, but Inara must have heard her steps and turned to look at her.

"Hey, Schala!" She called out. "You're finally back. Hold up." She turned to the other SeeD. "Excuse me." She said, not waiting for the dismissing nod before turning and jogging to meet the gunblader.

"Hey." She repeated once she was beside her.

Schala merely nodded her greeting – like she always did – and waited for her to continue. As the red headed teen said nothing in the following seconds, Schala resumed her pace towards the lift, Inara surely keeping pace.

It was only when they got to the lift and Schala pressed the call button than the other woman spoke.

"So..." She started carefully. "The Garden moving, bet that was a surprise, huh?"

Schala merely nodded back without taking her eyes from the still closed elevator doors. It had been a surprise, alright. Not even the Headmaster expected Balamb Garden to suddenly rise up from the ground and hover away from missile range. It was practically unthinkable.

"It doesn't look much like it's supposed to move though, with all the damage it took." Inara continued, looking around as if assessing the damage.

Of course, some of the damage was due to the 'Garden Master's instigated civil war, but after the Garden started moving it sure got worse... not accounting to the damage caused by the raising bridge.

"I suppose the workers and technicians are gonna be very busy for a while." Inara added.

"I suppose." Schala replied.

The lift arrived and the doors opened with a characteristic ping. Schala stepped in with Inara right behind her. She pressed the first floor button while Inara just leaned against the railings, her stare indicating there was more to their conversation.

"Yeah... So, they're handling all the structural damage and stuff, huh?" She paused as the elevator started to slowly head down. "I don't suppose I could ask them to work on some other stuff... fixing a thing here and there..."

The lift took only seconds to arrive at the designated level and as it stopped and the doors opened, the two women didn't budge from their positions. Schala's frown was more thoughtful than inquiring. The sharpshooter wasn't even from that Garden. As far as Schala knew, she hadn't ever even step foot on Balamb Garden before that day. What could she possibly want fixed?

"As long as it doesn't interfere with the essential work on the Garden, I don't see why not." She finally said, exiting the lift before it got called away, Inara stepping behind her with a small hop and a reassured smile. "Try not to ask for too much."

Inara straightened up and smiled brighter.

"Of course." She stated.

Schala nodded, taking it as the end of that conversation and climbed down the stairs towards the main lobby. All around, the few Garden personnel were helping out the town's engineers in their work, though most consisted on carrying their gear, tools and cables around after them or wherever they told them to.

On the bottom of the stairs, Schala noticed the sharpshooter was still walking behind her. Turning to face her, Inara greeted her with a "_There's more I want to ask of you_" smile that almost made her groan.

"What?"

"Well, you see..." Inara wondered but the gunblader's impatient stare made her go straight to the point, though not resisting a smile. "All the moving commotion seemed to have completely obliterated a certain stage area in the Quad and Sorphan is absolutely devastated. Seemed like he'd been working on that before you left and now it's ruined."

Schala's stare softened as she recalled the state the stage was left in when she went there with Rian after the whole moving, avoiding missiles and drifting at sea thing. The rude docking in FH probably didn't help matters either.

"So... he's like, really down, very _off-character_, you know?" Inara continued, interrupting her thoughts after an allowed moment of reflection she knew the other teen required to process the information.

"I thought, maybe you could... you know..." She obviously didn't. "You could talk to him." She added with a persuasive smile able to rival with one of Sorphan's

To that request, not necessarily the smile – only Sorphan's could sway her mind –Schala grew even more confused and her frown deepened further. What could she possibly say to him? She wasn't exactly "cheering up" material, Rian was more than tired of telling her that. Whatever she'd say would most likely make it worse rather than better. She didn't deal well in those sorts of situations.

"I know you're a real klutz when it comes to these things." Inara cut in her inner monologue again, not without a poorly masked smile. "But you're like, everyone's leader... everyone's big sister, in spirit, and I'm sure that whatever you say will make him feel better." She added nodding emphatically, almost as if trying to convince both of them.

Schala had her doubts though, big doubts at that. Also, she wasn't sure if being considered by others as a leader or a big sister, even just in spirit, was a good thing.

"And I'll be there for backup, so no worries." Inara added with a big smile that didn't help Schala feel more comfortable with the situation... At. All.

"Fine..." Schala caved.

After not knowing their situation or whereabouts for several days, Schala had to admit to herself that she missed their often imposing and annoying presence. Truthfully, after all the chaos and confusion, what she wanted the most was for things to get back to normal, or at least as normal as they could get at that time. A bummed up Sorphan was definitely not normal in any conceivable context.

Still at the bottom of the stairs, ignoring the big victory smile plastered on the red headed sharpshooter, Schala wondered where was Sorphan's most likely location, at that time... knowing him...

"Quad...?" She wondered aloud, raising her eyes to the still smiling woman.

"Quad." Inara confirmed it and without a word, Schala turned and headed towards that particular section of Garden, followed closely by a grinning like crazy Inara.

During their walk, the scenery was the same as work progressed around Garden. Obviously the battle damage suffered by the otherwise beautiful central fountain was far from essential, but still Schala could detect a couple of FH people assessing the damage. Those were most likely craftsman instead of engineers, as she had learned on her half-forced tour of the Town, also existed and were quite skilled.

Dismissing the memory of her walk, Schala cut into the Quad, with Inara keeping her pace on her side now. Apart from the battle scars, the Quad held little damage from "the move", or so it seemed till they reached the stage area.

If it looked like it would be hard to put together before, right now that possibility went down to zero. The few stakes that were left standing had collapsed on themselves and even parts and pieces from it must have fallen off the open limits of the Quad area and into the sea. It was ruined beyond any possible hope of repair.

"Whew... this is so bad..." Sorphan's wail reached them once they got close enough to hear it.

It took some eye-squinting and a couple steps closer for Schala to even identify him between the rubble. Surprisingly still wearing the galbadian uniform, Sorphan sat on his heels, hand on his lap and stared blankly forward, not seeming to be focusing on anything ahead of him.

He was in worse shape than she had expected. Schala hesitated to even step closer. With the bubbly, hyperactive Sorphan in such a state, she was sure she could not only not make him feel better, but would definitely make it worse.

As if anticipating it, Inara gave her an encouraging nudge and as she turned to face her, the sharpshooter doubled it with an encouraging smile, nodding her to go.

If not even Inara had managed to make it better, as Schala was certain she'd tried, how could she...?

Her doubts were cut by a second nudging and Schala knew there was no turning back. Not only was Inara not going to let her get away, but she had already agreed to it...

"Ahm... Sorphan?" She hesitated, trying to call him in a soft voice.

It wasn't as hard as she thought it'd be, but it still sounded alien to her.

"I had so wanted to see some of the guys perform on this... a play or a band... it would have been awesome..."

Schala's retreat was cut off with Inara ushering her closer to him. Her mind was blank. What could she possibly say to him?

"I even had my eyes set on a few people, too..." He continued as Inara continued to gesture Schala to step closer while resisting laughing at the panic intrinsically etched in her face. "And people you wouldn't expect to either... it would have been awes..."

Sorphan stopped short as he felt a hand settling on his shoulder. Though appearing catatonic, his SeeD training had him constantly aware of his immediate surroundings and the only one close enough to him to touch him was... His suspicions were confirmed as he tilted his head back and saw Schala's awkward face looking ahead at nothing in particular, just not him, while resting her left hand on his shoulder, awkwardly too but the reassuring intention was there.

"It's been... really crazy around here... with the Garden moving and crashing into FH and all..." Schala spoke hesitantly at first, but they were things that needed to be said.

That she needed to say because they were swimming in her head for the past few days and somehow, and strangely enough, saying them out loud was like lifting an invisible burden off her shoulders.

"I know it seems hopeless now but... There's nothing that can't be fixed. You're the most resourceful and tenacious person I know, I'm sure that if anyone can find a way to pull it back together, it's you..."

Schala wasn't exactly sure she was just talking about the stage area anymore. Sorphan was a morale builder ever since he'd arrived in Balamb Garden, and he'd only been there a couple of days before their first SeeD mission. He basically kept everyone's morale up, even hers though she'd never admit to it.

There was a long silence in which neither of them spoke, and though she was more than comfortable in silences, his felt slightly off. Looking down, she couldn't prevent her eyes from widening with sight of his widened eyes. They seemed more than surprised, they seemed perplexed, stunned beyond words and it honestly crept the hell outta her, so much she almost stepped back.

"... Schala... being nice..?" The look on her face seemed to have loosened his tongue as she now mimicked his surprise. "That was... so honest and sensitive, I'd never..."

"You're the last person I expected to come cheer me up, still... you came and said those things... That's... weird..."

Schala's surprise slowly de-evolved into a soft frown as his words and her own behaviour registered.

"I must really look depressed." He added as his eyes momentarily left hers to stare forward in realization.

Schala's mind had already left the present as all came crashing down on her thoughts.

_What? What's so weird about that? I care just as much as everybody else!_

_I worry, I feel... it's just that, most times it can't be helped. Things are as they are and happen like they happen, there's nothing we can do about it no matter how much we worry or feel... or care. I might not show it, but I care... there's just no point in wailing on it once it's done..._

Schala closed her eyes and stepped back, removing her hand from the brunet's shoulder as she did.

_Why do I even bother...? I knew I would only make it worse. I'm not good at pep talks or any kind of talks for that matter... I should have just left it alone and not..._

"Uh-oh! No! No, no, no! Don't do that!" Sorphan snapped, standing up in a jump like the old Sorphan did, and this time Schala's surprise couldn't be tamed and she jumped back a bit in alarm.

It had been too sudden for someone so locked away in her thoughts.

"There you go again into your own little world with sealed iron gates, not letting anyone in." He said, stepping closer too fast to allow her to move away.

He gripped her shoulders and kept her in place and Schala was too stunned by the suddenness and by his actions to react.

"The gates are open, let them be like that. It's not a bad thing to let others know you care." He continued in a much less rushed voice, softer even as he realized how he had freaked her out.

Because she was freaked out and though his softness as he quieted down and slowly took his hands off her shoulders had calmed her enough, it was all she could do not to turn around and bolt the hell outta there.

"I think I'm feeling better now." Sorphan said, stepping back from her and returning her personal space to its rightful owner.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming his own self down. A couple of seconds passed, he reopened them and the shine was back, the happiness, the cheerfulness and a hidden glint of mischief as he fully intended on rubbing in Zanya and Quentin's face the sudden and unexpected "Schala revelation". To Rian, it wouldn't be that much of a tease since it was more than obvious to him how the "Boss" felt about the SeeD. He could be sensitive too, if he wanted.

"Thank you, Schala." He added looking straight into her stormy eyes, now slightly murky from her inner confusion.

Without waiting for her to react, Sorphan turned back to the stage with renewed spirits. He no longer looked at it as something broken beyond repair, but his mind started to work on how he could still use it. Even the possibility of getting rid of it all and starting from scratch no longer hindered him.

If Schala could open up and lay her heart for the sole purpose of cheering him up, he sure as hell could lift the stage from the rubble.

Schala stepped back, stunned and unsure of what to do next. She had tried to cheer Sorphan up and it went completely off, though it oddly seemed to have worked. He was cheered up but she ended up more affected than he was before...

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of the incoming inner monologue as Inara stepped up next to her. Her smile wasn't too cocky, probably out of some respect for her. After all, she did manage to cheer the tall teen back to his old self. Inara's smile was more of victory and determination.

"... Alrighty! It's my turn now." She said as she started walking towards him, leaving Schala back with thoughts she wasn't sure she wanted to ponder on.

Three chimes echoed in the Garden, reaching the Quad through the outer speakers.

"Schala, this is the headmaster speaking. Please come to my office."

Schala looked up, thankful for the distraction of her mind. Someone must have seen her and informed the headmaster she was back on the Garden. He probably wanted a report of what happened. Great...

She moved away, leaving the two teens alone again. Inara still looked after her till the brunette was out of sight then turned her full attention to the other brunet.

"So, how's it looking?" Inara wondered aloud once she was beside him.

"It's gonna be a lot of work." Sorphan replied, not at all surprised at her presence and no longer as conscious of her closeness as before.

There was a nostalgic comfortable feeling when she was near him he no longer rejected.

"But you'll do it, right?" She asked, meaning more than just the stage area fix.

"Of course!" He replied, looking at her with his trademark smile that had permanently returned to his face.

Her own smile widened in accordance. She'd missed him 'Oh so much.

"Alrighty, then..." She cheered in a very Sorphan kinda way. "Let's get the party started!"

"Party?" He wondered confused.

"Trust me honey!" She snaked closer, putting an arm around his waist. "It's gonna be Legen-"

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"That about covers my report, Sir."

And what a report it was. Schala had been inside Headmaster Cid's office for the better part of an hour relaying every bit of what had happened in the past week.

The Timber mission and its mishaps; going to Galbadia Garden and the Sorceress assassination mission in Deling; their arrest and subsequent escape; the separation of the teams and the journey back to Balamb Garden. The rest he knew, so she skipped to the part where she knowingly went against the mayor's wishes and fought to save the people of FH.

It had been a long report, so much had happened in such a short time. The headmaster had listened to it intently and with very few interruptions.

"I see... it adds up with Sorphan and Quentin's report I heard a few moments ago..." He let out, certainly not doubting or even expecting them to tell different stories, but now he had the whole picture.

Schala got that and though she didn't know the details of their report, mainly of the break into the missile base and their escape, they had succeeded in partially stopping the missiles and escaping with their lives unscathed, even their arrival had been essential in the defence of FH. That was all she needed to know.

"Yes... about Ellone..." The Headmaster wondered aloud but said no more.

Schala had mentioned the "Dream World" vaguely, including the part Ellone played in those events to which he didn't seem the least bit surprised. He had already admitted to knowing her so it was safe to assume he knew of her powers.

She neglected to mention, however, the last words she had said to her before leaving for the White SeeD Ship. That had felt personal, more personal than she'd like to admit or share with anyone at the moment...

"The Galbadian Soldiers were definitely looking for her. That seemed to be their main objective in FH." She concluded from the overheard conversation between the Commander and the mayor.

"Hmm..."

"I believe Sorceress Edea is behind this." Schala admitted.

The Sorceress had taken over the Galbadian Empire and military forces so the soldiers must had been under her orders. As for why go after Ellone, it had to be for her power. To send people into the past... What could the sorceress possibly want with such an ability Schala couldn't begin to fathom.

"So she has control over the entire galbadian forces... and is now searching for Ellone..." The headmaster let out, barely aware of him speaking aloud.

"And regardless of whether they found her or not..." Schala cut in. "They had orders to burn the city down."

"Surely to reduce the number of potential places she could hide... to corner her..." He added.

Schala nodded in agreement as she looked at the headmaster intently. She searched his expression for a reaction but it seemed he was as good at hiding his emotions as she was, perhaps even better. He knew Ellone and he knew sorceress Edea, they had been married after all. To know of the terrible things a person you know is doing and willing to do, it must be devastating.

For some reason, a certain pair of sea-green eyes suddenly popped into her mind. Seifer... someone she thought she knew had also gone through that path, doing unimaginable atrocities... following the sorceress, torturing and most likely, murder... Who was she kidding? She knew exactly how that felt.

So much that, not half of what Seifer had done and said to her in that torture chamber had been said in her report. The anger and utter hatred for SeeD he showed her, Schala wouldn't dare mention any of it. She said he seemed to be working for the sorceress but she had yet to disregard the possibility of him being coerced or controlled somehow. Telling the headmaster of his every deed would certainly eliminate such doubts and brand him as a traitor and a target to take out.

She couldn't have that... not without being sure that was indeed the case.

"Most likely, the sorceress will not stop this onslaught until Ellone is found. She will continue to hunt her, and burn everything in her path." Headmaster Cid had continued talking but Schala had only barely registered his words as her own thoughts occupied all her attention span.

"We can't wait any longer." He added and turned to the makeshift control panel the FH technicians had began to assemble.

His movements snapped Schala from her thoughts and made her focus on him. Recalling and finally registering his words, Schala felt reassured he was finally going official.

Speak of SeeD's true purpose, declare their target as the Sorceress and plan for attack. It was about time.

He pressed a couple of buttons and the three chimes echoed around every corner of the Garden.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"This is Headmaster Cid calling out to every SeeD, Cadet and other personnel inside the Garden. I have an announcement to make."

All around Balamb Garden, the SeeDs and Cadets, as well as FH people and Garden staff, stopped what they were doing, turned off any machinery they were using and raised their heads up to the speakers as if they could see the headmaster's face through them.

"I have important news that I must share with you all"

There was a small pause as if he was making sure he had everyone's attention.

"The Garden is being repaired as we speak, thanks to the precious help of our newly found friends from FH, and we will leave the harbour immediately after it's finished."

"We're going on a journey."

He paused again as to find the right words.

"This is a journey to pursue SeeD's true purpose, why you have been trained for so many years..."

"To defeat the Sorceress!"

All around Garden, there were murmurs of surprise and of _"about time"_.

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In the infirmary, Doctor Margaret Kadowaki closed her eyes. He had finally said it. Cid was finally taking these kids into the lioness' den. As she opened her eyes again, she wondered...

Which and how many of those children would be lying in her beds once it was over... if they were lucky enough...?

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In the Library, Rian looked up from the book he was reading and set it down. He looked around at the cadets and couple of SeeDs that had just learned the truth behind all their training. He felt slightly bad for knowing about it before most of them did, considering he wasn't even a SeeD. In the faces of those around him, the reactions differed. Some were frightened while most were determined and eager.

That was the shaping of the training they had all endured and that he would never truly understand...

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In the Quad, Sorphan hanged his mouth open as Inara frowned. She had known for a long time: The truth of SeeD and the truth behind their mission in Deling. Headmistress Martine never held that fact a secret from the SeeDs she trained, so that their determination wouldn't falter them when the time came.

And the time had come.

To Sorphan, it was a surprise but not a disappointment. He didn't know SeeDs were trained to kill the Sorceress, neither Headmaster Albert nor Annie had ever said anything on that. But he accepted it. The Sorceress was dangerous, he knew that much. She had attacked both Gardens and the people he held so dear.

No way was she gonna get away with that!

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In the cafeteria, half the people there choking on their own food with the announcement, but surprisingly and oddly enough, Zanya wasn't one of them. She normally would, especially considering the amount of hotdogs she had stuffed in her mouth at the moment, but the news weren't that new to her. She had heard it back in the infirmary after the Norg thing. Garden trained SeeDs and SeeDs fought Sorceresses. She smiled despite the food in her mouth...

She was so gonna beat the crap outta her!

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On the corridor of the Dorms, Quentin and Xu held each others' hands tightly. Both, as part of the headmaster's closest senior staff, knew the truth of SeeD but hearing it out loud as the rest of them. It had finally begun, there was no turning back now...

They held each other and kissed, weary of the dangers to come.

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In the second floor hallway, the convoy of prisoners being led by a SeeD and a couple of cadets in turns towards the lifts froze in place, none of the galbadian soldiers taking even a breath.

Sue was surprised only for the fact that the announcement had been made at that precise moment since she had learned of it for a while now. It still came as a shock hearing it directly from the headmaster's mouth, considering Mark had been the one to tell her and there was always a part of her that believed, and hoped, he'd been yanking her chain.

Now it seemed he really wasn't.

The other's reaction of surprise was truly because they had no idea. Carol and Ori had been trained to fight as mercenaries and neither had even known or thought there was something more than that.

As for the soldiers, they could only gasp once they finally took in air. That was why both the SeeDs had tried to take a hit on the sorceress, and at the same time why the Sorceress had ordered the attack and hunt on SeeDs. They wanted to kill her and she wanted to kill them before they had the chance. It was a war between Sorceress and SeeDs and Galbadia and its soldiers had just been caught in the middle, stuck between a legion of swords and a magical hard place.

Their future had never felt so dire even when they were facing the homicidal MRV back in the plaza...

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In the basement, all work on the cages had ceased upon the announcement. Mark didn't even know the MD Level had incorporated speakers down there, but he supposed the Yellow Bastard kept tabs on Cid's general announcements. He was the controlling freak kinda creature.

The announcement itself seemed to affect more the people around him than he himself.

The FH engineers and craftsmen he had managed to recruit for his little project had the expression of momentary surprise and uneasiness of more battles to come. They appalled violence in every form but had embraced the SeeDs' because it was used to save them from actions brought forth by the sorceress' decisions...

Could they really condone her demise, though...?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Balamb Garden will now serve as a mobile base. With it we will follow the sorceress' moves in an effort to cease her reign of terror."

Cid continued after a moment to allow everyone to let the announcement sink in. Some of the personnel were already aware of SeeD's goal, but there were many who hadn't been and he wanted to have everyone attentive to the second part of his announcement... one that would probably not be very welcomed by the person sharing the bridge with him...

"The administration of Garden will remain as it was, composed of myself and the staff. However..."

"This journey will involve many fierce and hard battles. As such, we will need a well qualified leader to lead us into combat..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"One with outstanding battle prowess..."

Mark let out a loud, heartfelt laugh that all but scared the FH personnel in the MD Level. He had a suspicion of where Cid was going with this and was absolutely sure... she wasn't going to like it one bit...

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"That has proven itself over and over again..."

Still standing in the middle of the Dorms' corridor, Quentin stared at Xu and Xu stared at Quentin, doubt and apprehension in their expressions. There was no way Cid would do it to her... was there?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"And never hesitates in the face of battle no matter whom or how many opponents stand in its way..."

The soldiers couldn't stop the shiver that ran through their spine as the Headmaster's words hit their ears. All they'd seen that day were able SeeDs that seemed to fear nothing as they took on just about half of the Galbadian military force. Their memories took them back at the plaza where three women stood as tall as giants against a legion. Anyone of those taking control of their military actions could mean the fall of the Galbadian Army.

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"One that has displayed a cool head in dire situations..."

Everyone in the cafeteria turned to the one table that while before remained silent to the initial revelation of SeeD's true purpose, was now the only source or sound other than the speakers spreading the headmaster's voice. The young blond woman sounded like she was coughing out a hairball. She got it, even if the others didn't, she knew who headmaster Cid was talking about. Who was going to lead them into the new Sorceress' Wars... as she managed to swallow the hotdogs taking a pit stop on her throat, she reasoned... There was no one else she'd rather take orders from on the battle field.

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"And has faced all odds while burdened with tough decisions..."

Doctor Kadowaki closed her eyes again as she too did the math, connected the dots and dotted the "i"s. All she could think about was _"What is he thinking?"_ Certainly the young woman would be up to the job, very likely better than many others, older and more experienced, but to put so much responsibility and weight in such young shoulders... It was just too much...

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"But always fulfilled its duties in the face of adversity and hardships...

"No freakin' way!" Sorphan let out, hanging his jaw at both surprise and excitement as Inara put on a pensive look, not even trying to disguise her smile. There was no one else she could imagine taking charge of the Garden and leading them into victory... though, she would NOT be happy with it. .

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"By following not only orders, but their own protective instincts..."

Rian's book fell on the floor but the sound was ignored by the remaining occupants of the library reading room. All looked around, wondering who among their ranks would take the position of leader. Rian didn't have to wonder, he already knew. Cid had not hidden the trust he had in the girl nor the responsibility he expected her to hold. Forgetting the fallen book, he closed his eyes thinking on how the distance between them just kept getting bigger...

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"Someone who risked it all as to save our home from a devastating threat..."

The SeeD and cadets leading the prisoners stopped at the lift's door, none of them remembering to press the call button. They all remembered the day of the civil war in the Garden when the two new SeeDs returned saying there were missiles heading their way. It was even bigger chaos after that on that day. Many SeeDs and cadets had evacuated and their fate was now unknown.

Sue knew who was most likely to be appointed leader of the SeeD, from the ones that returned that day, only one seemed fit for the job. She didn't know the girl well, personally, but her feats, her courage and her skill could not be denied.

As for the cadets, Ori and Carol had suspicions on the identity of their new leader as well. They also didn't know her very well, despite having been in the same class for many years. She was always closed up and didn't socialize at all. Most of the classmates didn't like her but that was because they didn't even know her. After seeing her trying her all to save Garden and fighting to protect FH and its people, there was no doubt in their minds she was the right person for the job.

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"The one all of us owe our lives to..."

The FH personnel all around the Garden hearing the headmaster's words froze as the memories of the plaza returned. At that time, three people, girls most not even above 20, had stood between them and the Galbadia Army. They certainly owed them their lives and in that moment it was clear to them that one of them would lead the SeeDs into battle.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

On the bridge, Schala listened intently while Cid described the seemingly perfect leader, one who would certainly be able to lead SeeDs into a victorious run in with the Sorceress.

She wondered who the headmaster was going to choose, who among the senior SeeDs had such qualities...

_Instructor Brandt? Quentin, maybe Xu..._

"I hereby appoint Schala Leonhart as our head military commanding officer."

_Oh, that's nice... WHAT?_ She was barely able to keep the outburst in as the headmaster continued to talk on the speakers.

The reassuring feeling from earlier was most definitely gone.

"She will be responsible for every military action and destination." The Headmaster continued but no word reached her understanding.

Her mind was too busy questioning the man's sanity. She hadn't been a SeeD for more than a week and now he was putting her ahead of the entire SeeD force? He couldn't be right in his mind.

"I have the utmost trust in her abilities to defend our home and our people in this important mission we now undertake."

_I mean, how could I?_ She asked herself. _How can I take care of everyone? I can barely take care of myself on my own, there's no way... This has to be a joke!_

"As I'm sure, everyone will agree. Please, follow her orders as she would."

But she was the first to disagree. There was no way she could do it...

"If anyone has anything to add, please report to me with your issue. That is all."

Cid turned off the intercom and breathed deeply, keeping his back turned to the recently appointed Military Commander of all SeeD. He was well aware she wasn't expecting this announcement, as he was sure she was the first one with objections relating to his choice.

It was also his firm belief that she was the ideal person for the job.

"Schala, we're under your command from now on..." He said calmly, though knowing nothing he could add would probably calm her down.

And as expected, when he finally turned to face her, she was angry. Cid didn't think he had ever seen her so mad, and so strained trying to contain it. She looked like a volcano ready to blow.

"What are you doing? Why...?" She cried out, stepping back and shaking her head as if wanting to awake from a terrible and confusing nightmare.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She cried out again raising her head to see his reply.

Cid looked calm, though his eyes were betraying some sympathy for the girl's plight and reaction, there was a stronger determination behind them.

"This is your fate." He continued calmly as if she wasn't on the verge of freaking out already.

"It is your destiny to lead the way in defeating the sorceress..."

But that was the final straw...

"STOP saying this like it's been decided since my birth!" She snapped, so loudly that – in afterthought – the headmaster was sure it was heard all the way to the second floor.

She stared at him and before he could add anything more about fate and all that crap, she all but ran out of his office, slamming the double doors and pounding on the call button for the lift. It couldn't come fast enough and once it did, Schala entered it without raising her head. She couldn't even tell if there had been anyone else in the lift or in the way back to her dorm since she kept her head down and just ran all the way, with her thoughts pounding on her ears.

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After Schala stormed out, Cid looked apprehensively out the window. It was true, it was her fate and it wasn't that it had been decided since her birth, but about 5 years later...

When his wife had come to him with the idea of SeeD, he had to wonder where she got that idea from. She had dismissed it at the time, but later on she caved... She said that in the future, a sorceress would come and threaten their children and only one of today's children would be able to face and defeat this threat. After that, she approached the playing children and he couldn't stop noticing the sad stare she had placed when she looked at the little, and then bubbling brunette.

He knew it then what was in store for his children and since then had stopped at nothing to make sure they would all pull through...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"_**Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny." - Darth Vader, **_

_**Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back**_

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_AN.: Yay, chapter done after the LONG hiatus. And, another chapter is soon to follow._

_I was originally going to post tit all as one chapter, but when I reached this part I still wanted to write so much... It was like with the D District prison thing in which I originally thought it as one chapter and had to split... this one isn't as big, but the two together would be... besides, my Beta found me these awesome names for the chapters that suited them best if I broke them in two, so here they are XD._

_That to say that the original second part of this chapter will be posted right after this one._

_Just on the side note... You might have noticed the little quote I added at the end of the chapter. You know, I once read a Chrono Trigger fanfic (don't remember the name or the author... sorry) on IcyBrian's site (at the time... dunno if it's here anywhere) and it was really awesome. I do remember the author adding at the end of each chapter a quote that somehow spoke to the events of the chapter. Now, I always thought that to be the best idea ever, but I never got around to implement it on my story (also because it was AGES before I started writing and I didn't remember to do it any sooner...)_

_Now, and after my Beta and I went into a bit of a Quote frenzy, I find myself sold to the idea, so... from this chapter on, there will always be an extra line to the chapter, a quote relating to it (not counting the ridiculously amount of quotes I use in story :P). I'll also be adding, little by little, quotes to all the previous chapters... that will take time, though, so don't expect all of the chapters to have an ending quote right after you finish this chapter... I might make a mention on the ending AN of the chapter when I'm done with the old ones... just so you can check it out... if you want, of course..._

_And... I don't think I have much more to add (I believe I've added enough... don't you?... Missed me? ^^)..._

_Read ya in a bit *_

_Revir_

_-Reply to anonymous reviews section-_

_I had two non logged reviewers which I will now reply to..._

_First, to jdukes:_

_Hi and thanks for both your comments (it adds number of reviews to the list ;P)_

_Sorry to scare you, honey, I know it's been too long and it may have given the impression that I was lost for good, but rest assured I won't stop, it just has been a chaotic year..._

_On to your first one... I totally agree with you. FFVIII is as best as they come (In my point of view, at least) but one can never resist putting on their own personal twists ;P. I'm really happy you like my "adaptation" so much and sorry again for the lack of updates... Bad Revir!_

_I'm officially back!_

_Take care and read ya later_

_Revir_

_PS.: I re-read it all the time, and _I_ wrote it ;P_

_To Jesus..._

_Thank you Jesus! (sorry, couldn't resist... oh c'mon, you walked right into that one ;P)_

_Ok... this is quite the unique situation...ahmm... "Jesus"...FFVIII was certainly an awesome game and I agree that one of the best in the series (it was also my first, so I'm not exactly impartial...). And I'm glad you like what you _read_... and hope you'll _keep on reading as you've been so far_..._

_Yeah, about that autograph, I would love to sign it for you but bumping into each other in the street would be kinda kismet. I mean, it's not like we live in the same general area less alone the same country. And even if we did, it's not like we'd recognise each other if we did in fact crossed paths. I mean really... It's not like we _know each_ other or anything... right?_

_Thanks for the support and, well... keep reading...?_

_Take care and read ya later_

_Revir_

_PS.: Just to let the other readers know, in case you're even reading this bit... like I said before, can't expect everyone to read the AN... Anyway, in case you find this review-reply odd (those that review and receive replies must've realised it was not the traditional repertoire) the fact is... I know Jesus (walked right into that one again, didn't I? ;P.) Meaning the guy calling himself "Jesus"... I know him, I go to University with him, I was sitting next to him when he found out my story and wrote the review posted... I also know that he hadn't read two sentences of my fic at the time he posted this review... hence the slightly awkward reply..._

_I also doubt he'll EVER return here to read this reply, I mean he is a HUGE Final Fantasy fan and he really liked FFVIII, but he was just yanking my chain when he wrote the review. He said he might take a look, but only when it's finished and who knows when that'll be... Sure as hell isn't me, right? Oh, wait..._

_Anyway, I only made a point to reply to his review because, well... It's kinda the way I am (and it made for a funny reply, you have to admit ;P)._

_Read ya later_

_Revir*********_


	36. Chapter 36: Strangers In The Night

**Disclaimer: "**_Psycho Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est, fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better…" No… still don't own Final Fantasy VIII….. yes, my brain is fried…_

**Chapter 36 – Strangers in the Night**

"...DARY! Right? Right?" Inara cheered as she stood on the central platform of the solar panel disk in FH.

Behind her a handful of FH's engineers worked on beams and platforms apparently building something. In front of her, Quentin, Xu, Rian and Sorphan's latest Garden Festival addition, Nida, sat on the ledge listening attentively as the tallest boy, who had just washed out of the galbadian uniform and into his casual clothes, now seemed completely recovered from his momentary depression, sporting a WAY too happy a face.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Quentin wondered, leaning back on the pavement with Xu sitting beside him, suddenly straightening up in sign of attention.

Both had changed after giving their report to headmaster Cid, opting for something more... comfortable. Now, Quentin wore his shirt slightly unbuttoned, black trousers and boots, having left his vest out. Xu, on the other hand, had discarded the SeeD uniform and now wore her more casual outfit.

Nida sat next to them, a little to the side, unsure of what exactly was he supposed to be doing there.

Last thing he remembered was walking around with a couple of cadets and FH workmen to the Quad of Garden so they could assess some damage. The next instant he was being dragged around, arm in arm with both Inara and Sorphan, towards the storage room and to carry a load of assorted equipment and follow them around. They said they were getting something up for everyone to relax and that he was gonna be a part of it too. They neglected to mention he had absolutely no choice in the matter.

He had been warned before of the persuasiveness of the tall brunet's eyes, something famous throughout Garden for managing to make the _Ice Queen_ join a social gathering, but he never thought he would be caught in it. Now he sat there, half listening in to the red headed woman, whom he'd never seen before in his life, doing Hyne knew what...

"Well, as I said..." Inara continued. "We are holding a concert. Now, originally it was just to celebrate our timely return and the salvation of FH, but there has been a new development..."

Inara paused for a moment to give emphasis to her next statement.

"Schala's promotion..." She finally said in all pump and circumstance. "It's the perfect opportunity to go all out and help cheer up Schala in the process."

"Just picture it..." She added as the expression of disbelief spread among her audience.

None of them believed Schala was the type to enjoy a concert. They were also certain she would not want to be cheered up, though she would obviously be in need for it. All knew her well enough to know she had locked herself in her room over thinking about... well, everything. The girl definitely needed a break.

"A fancy stage... courtesy of our new friends from FH..." She started again, signalling the stage in construction behind her.

The platform where the mayor's house stood had been chosen for the big show. Not only did the disposition of the solar panel disc allowed for a great audience with a good view, but the solar panels themselves made for awesome light effects that could light up the skies for kilometres...

"An awesome band playing cool, assorted songs..." She continued, this time gesturing around her as if indicating all the people around her, whom frowned slightly at the implication.

She couldn't mean they, could she? Sure, none of them were completely tone deaf, having taken music lessons as part of the Gardens' curriculum. SeeD training really did approach all areas of expertise in preparation for future missions.

Though none of them could think, at that moment, how knowing how to play an instrument could help them fight a sorceress...

Anyway, the most of them didn't feel comfortable performing in such a great stage, especially considering most hadn't picked up any instrument for years now...

"And a handsome and appealing date by her arm..." She added, this time clearly pointing at Rian sitting at the edge of the group.

Rian shrunk but in an excited way. A first date with Schala – if you didn't count the tour, and he wasn't... especially considering how it had been interrupted – and to a concert no less. It certainly had more potential than a tour of the garden or any other time alone together they had shared till that moment.

"It will be the perfect night!" She brought it home. "And I'm sure Schala will enjoy it... Well, at least appreciate our effort to cheer her up." She had to correct.

"We owe her that much."

They all looked among each other, shifting their eyes then at Quentin. In the absence of Schala, they all looked up to the Senior SeeD and Instructor as the leader of the gang. Even Nida stared up at him since, well... knowing him first and foremost as his instructor, he'd be the logical choice to be making the decisions.

Quentin looked very doubtful, though. It was such a great deal... and cheering Schala was also quite the undertaking...

_Hell, why not?_ He eventually wondered. She would certainly need it, Hell... they all did.

"Sounds fun." He caved.

"Woohoo!" Sorphan cheered with an incredible high jump, that only caught the most recent addition to the group by surprise, all of the others more than used to his exuberance.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" He cheered again, doing a little happy dance which made everyone laugh out of his pure happiness.

"Alright..." Zanya managed to let out between laughs. "Who are you getting to play in this shindig?"

The laughter died down as both Sorphan and Inara got a smile on their faces that crept the hell outta them and gave them a really ominous feeling. Even Nida, that had seen that very same smile seconds before being drafted into their schemes, shook a bit in dreaded anticipation.

"Well..." Sorphan started, sharing a look with his partner in crime.

Inara reciprocated the gesture before they both turned back to the others.

"We are!" They said in unison.

The other SeeDs stayed silent for a while as the dread justified itself. None of them saw that particular element of their idea as a good one, except maybe for Rian.

He smiled, thinking how great that was gonna be. He remembered doing those kinds of things back in high school, silly really that rarely turned out any good, but they were always a lot of fun.

"Say wha'?" Zanya reacted, stunned and almost falling of her seated position.

"You can't be serious?" Quentin noted. "I mean, we can't just get all together and do a concert. It'll take at least a week to train and get minimally ready and I doubt the repairs on the Garden will take that long." He added.

There was the composition learning, the instrument training, the tempo synchronization and the practice with all of them together... there was no way they could do it in less than a week...

"Actually..." Inara stepped in with a smile both awkward and mischievous. "We were thinking of doing it tonight... You know, strike while the iron is hot." She added, cringing as she expected their reaction.

After a small but meaningful silence, the walls came down.

"WHAT!"

"No way!"

"Impossible!"

_How did I get pulled into this...?_

All of them were utterly outraged, except, once again, for Rian. He thought it was a great opportunity to hold a concert then and there, and even if it wouldn't be perfectly performed, it should provide much needed distraction.

He understood, though, the why and how most of the SeeDs wouldn't like the suddenness of the act. They were not prone to act silly in front of other people. Sorphan, Inara and Zanya were the more than occasional exception, though the blonde didn't seem particularly eager on this one.

Nida, on the other hand, didn't know what to think, except that he really rather be somewhere else. Doing a concert, performing in public? And with less than a day to prepare? These people were crazy.

"Oh, c'mon guys!" Sorphan wailed. "It has to be tonight!" He insisted.

Like Quentin had said before, the repairs in the Garden were going smoothly and it wasn't like they had a lot to repair. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days for such a talented and hard working crew, but that wasn't even the point.

After the stresses of the last couple of days, with the missiles, the separations and the near destruction of the Garden and the town, they needed a release. And that concert was it.

"Sorphan, it's just not possible." Quentin tried to explain, standing up but still a bit short to be at eye level. "It's too short notice, we can't do it this rushed, it just can't be done..."

Sorphan was at the brink of tears, now. He wanted it to happen that night. He was back at the Garden he thought he'd lost and had no idea what had happened to the other Garden. He needed to get his mind off things, he needed that concert.

Inara looked intently at both men, sharing the occasional look over the rest, more than half of them nodding in agreement, Nida rather vigorously. She half expected the resistance to occur, and had prepared her bearings for such an event. Her speech was out, preacher like.

"Like stopping the missiles couldn't be done?" Inara started, getting the others attention.

She paced around them slowly, her stare burring into each of their faces, making her words sink into their brains.

"Just like the Garden couldn't be saved?" She continued, pacing around.

"Escaping the D. District prison; delaying the missiles; saving Balamb Garden; saving FH..." She started getting into it.

"These may seem impossible for most people, but we did them."

"We escaped the impregnable highest security prison EVER." which was an amazing feat.

"We blew up the Galbadian missile base..." which was pretty cool too.

"We made it so Balamb Garden would rise up from the ground and move away from the incoming missiles..." and that particular feat being a whole new degree of awesome.

"Three people stood between half the Galbadian military forces and the people of FH without even flinching... and we drove them off to the bottom of the ocean." with a little help of a giant water snake... B-awesome, by the way!

"For Hyne's sakes..." She brought it home, one more time. "WE ARE SEEDS, we make the impossible possible time and time again!"

She paused for a moment, regaining her breath under the surprised gaze of the others. Even Sorphan was stunned by her passionate words.

And Nida, in particular, didn't know what to say. He knew they had gone out on a mission and that they ran into some trouble out there, coming in during a civil war and warning of incoming missiles, but... had they really done all that?

Inara straightened up, having recovered from her mock lackness of breath as she locked her stare into each of their faces.

"After all we've done..." She paused again, giving extra emphasis on her words. "Are you really going to tell me that... doing a concert with half a day's preparation... was the one thing we couldn't do...?"

Silence stretched as Quentin resisted caving in to her pretty shrewd argument. Her words had fulfilled their intended purpose. The others were charged for it now, even Nida that barely even knew her seemed slightly peeved by their accomplishments.

Quentin probably couldn't prevent it, even if he wanted to.

"Inara, you talk a fine line..." Quentin eventually yielded.

"Thank you, Quentin." She replied, trying, though not much, to disguise her victory smile.

She sure knew how to rattle a crowd.

"So... How are we doing this?" He asked in order to get things moving.

The sooner they'd start working on their performance, the less it would suck.

Inara turned to Sorphan and, taking his cue, he rushed to a small pile of stuff no one had noticed was there in the first place, except for Nida that had helped carry it there less than an hour before.

Fumbling with it for a moment, Sorphan quickly returned with his hands full of sheet music, and a couple of instruments. He placed them down as orderly as his situation allowed, and went back stage again to help Inara, who had followed him earlier, carry a grand piano to the others' location. It was pretty heavy though, and with a quick glance his way, Nida stood up and hurried to help out, causing the smile to grow on Sorphan's face.

He was very well trained...

After taking a moment to compose themselves from the lesser strain – lesser than any other taken that day, at least – Sorphan picked up the sheet music, straightened it and distributed one each to Nida, standing right beside him, Zanya, Quentin and Xu, all who stood up after everything was in place.

"Here's the sheet music for the songs we'll be performing." Sorphan noted.

There were six scores, meaning five instruments in play though not all of them would be in use for all of the music. Five instruments and vocals he was going to have to convince one of them to partake.

And that was the main reason why they had needed to recruit a couple of members off the usual gang. Xu was easily brought in – as Inara had mentioned at the time they noticed they didn't have enough people – since she hadn't left Quentin's side since their arrival and so, would probably be willing to join them. The sixth element had been slightly trickier to acquire.

There was Rian, but Inara, and Sorphan by association, had different plans for him: The leading role of the play. So, there was a hole in their performance.

As they pondered on it, standing at the shambles of the Garden Festival Committee's ruined stage, light shone on their little dilemma. A hand full of people entered the Quad, a few cadets, FH personnel and... Nida. Sorphan immediately recognized him from the SeeD exam, the only other apart from their gang to have made it into SeeD. He would be the one to save the day.

Back then, he had looked at Inara and Inara had looked back at him, a truly disturbing smile on both their faces as they turned back in unison and called out, only Sorphan saying his name as Inara didn't know the man.

And that's how Nida got involved in that whole mess, though he was now more into it than earlier.

As everyone looked over the compositions in their hands, wondering to themselves which part they'd pick, Rian was oddly left out to which he immediately complained.

"Hey, don't I get one?" He wondered, standing up and switching his eye focus between Inara and Sorphan.

"No, Rian. I'm afraid you aren't playing tonight." Inara told them as she approached him.

Rian was visibly upset. He didn't expect to be left out, not again and especially not in a non-combative situation. He wanted to share that moment with Schala, and everyone and he couldn't believe they were taking that away from him.

"Calm down, Rian." Inara added immediately as she noticed his reaction. "I have a slightly different plan for you."

Inara stepped closer, wrapping an arm around his suspicious face while turning him away from the others. She gave a couple of steps before halting and half turning back, still with her arm around the other young man.

"Sorphan, you got that?" She asked as the tall teen was busy handing instruments to their friends.

Sorphan turned to her calling and nodded with a wide smile of happiness that his event was finally taking place. Inara smiled in turn, resuming her walk with Rian but not without adding in a loud voice.

"I call dibs on the bass guitar!" She shouted without getting a reply as Sorphan and Zanya struggled over the electric guitar, Quentin sat at the piano stool with Xu leaning over its side and Nida merely stepped to the side, not wanting to get in the middle of the struggle and perfectly content with having whatever was left after their choosing.

"It's really, the only instrument I can play..." She confessed, lower so only Rian heard her.

They walked a bit away from the others, moving away from the ruckus that had instilled.

"Now, Rian. You have the most important part in this play, and that is..." She paused as she felt his attention on her, now seemingly less suspicious and more curious. "To get Schala to come to the concert..." She added, drawing a surprised then pensive look from the non-SeeD teen.

Getting Schala to mingle with them in a social event would indeed be a tough job to accomplish...

Seeing he was no longer upset for being denied the chance to make a fool of himself on stage, Inara continued with a renewed smile.

"So... let's talk clothes..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala laid on her bed, fully clothed – except for her jacked which she had discarded over a chair – staring up at the ceiling, not a thought in her head, for a change.

She had spent the last hours – not one, not two, but several hours – thinking about any and everything, and finally her mind had run out of things to think about.

The most prominent nagging thoughts focused on the headmaster's announcement... her promotion to head commanding officer of SeeD.

It had taken many hours for her to cope with that particular predicament. Her...? Responsible for everyone...? It was just too much to ask for...

She had reasoned for hours that she had no choice as long as she was a SeeD. At that time a random thought actually suggested that if she quit, she'd be off the hook, but that thought was immediately discarded. Being a SeeD was all she knew, it was all she was. If that was taken away, there wouldn't be anything else...

So that was it, there was no choice. She would lead everyone to fight, defeat and kill the sorceress... Hyne, what a job... Kill the Sorceress... Kill the Headmaster Cid's wife... how it would have cost him to give that order... an order she would have to give as well.

The order to kill someone's loved one...

And then, there was Seifer... Would she have to give the kill order on his life as well? She doubted greatly they could get to the sorceress without going through Seifer first and, stubborn as the guy was, it would take nothing less than death for him to stay out of the way... She'd witnessed that herself in the float during their first assassination attempt.

As the leader, those decisions and giving those orders were all on her. It was so much to ponder on, so much to take in... So much to think about and the moment wasn't even there yet.

And now her mind, tired and beaten of over thinking everything, was also bored... So much she had actually started to wonder what everyone else was doing. She had refused to face anyone after the announcement, rushing into her room and locking – yes, she had remembered to lock it this time – her door, ignoring all calls of congratulations on the way there. Now, she could actually welcome the distraction...

***Knock Knock***

As if on cue, there was a calm but strong knock on the door, strong enough to wake her in case she was sleeping, but calm enough not to make her jump and grab her blade.

Without rushing, Schala got off of bed and walked to the door, opening it in time to prevent a second knock.

She said nothing as she looked outside and saw half what she expected to see. That half being Rian whom she supposed would be the one to come and drag her away from her solitary moment. It was always him behind her door. What she didn't expect was his getup...

Instead of the trademark vest or the training uniform she had seen him in that day, he wore a formal jacket – which seemed oddly like the SeeD uniform jacket but without the emblems and patterns on the shoulders and collarbone – over a button up white shirt and formal black pants – also like the SeeD uniform ones – over his shiny black shoes.

"Greetings, my lady." Rian greeted with a soft bow.

There had been some discussion as to how he should address her as to better suit the gang's plans. Some had suggested he called her "Commander", the title they had already chosen for her to take as the leader of SeeD military, but both Rian and Quentin believed that approach to draw a negative reaction and thus, throw their plans as feeder to the sharks.

Instead, Rian opted by his old approach which had worked in the past. As such, he half expected her either to groan at his choice of speech or even answer the door with a traditional "What?", but she just seemed tired. This concert felt more and more like the thing to do.

Rising from his bow, Rian looked straight in her eyes, those penetrating blue-grey eyes that were also not displaying surprise or annoyance, but actually a kind of pleasant feeling, as if she was pleased with his coming.

That almost threw him off guard and off the purpose of his visit, but he pulled himself together in a second.

"I was wondering if my lady would like to accompany me." He started in all his politeness.

The offer drew a frown out of her. Last time he had wanted to take her somewhere, it was to the training centre but, for the first time since she could remember, she didn't feel like going there...

"And where would you like me to accompany you?" She wondered.

Rian had to raise his eyebrows at that response, but he composed himself fairly quickly. He never expected her to follow along with his speech pattern. Though it was said in a rather dry tone and lacked the softness he had already heard from her.

But it also lacked the hard edge which faded more and more with each passing day.

"I would like to take you out to a concert."

The frown on her face deepened. How and where could there be a concert?

The Quad stage area had been obliterated by recent events. She had stood amidst the rubble that very afternoon with Sorphan and Inara... Inara, of course. She should have known.

The repair request was for something like that. She probably asked the FH engineers to fix the stage to get on Sorphan's good side – not that she needed help in that department, even Schala could tell – then, tempt him with a concert idea. He would jump at that opportunity.

And then those two would drag the others smack into the middle of it. Doing something this silly and unnecessary then having Rian asking her to join in, probably in an attempt to get her mind off things.

_A concert, really... what a nuisance..._

Still, it was better than dwelling... or passing out outta pure boredom...

"Alright." She replied, drawing a big smile out of him.

"Excellent." He commented briefly, staring at her for a moment.

He was happy that she had been easier to convince than the others had thought. Inara even coached him in a long and somewhat straining repertoire that in the end, proved completely unnecessary.

At first they all thought that she would immediately say no, that was what was expected, yet Rian thought differently. Something was changing and he could tell that she was starting to loosen up a bit and despite of everything, she would welcome the distraction from all the events of that day and week.

He was particularly pleased to be right.

His eyes made a very quick scan below as something seemed to have caught his eye but he raised his eyes to her face in a second, though sporting an awkward smile.

"We still have time" He added slowly, measuring his words and her reaction. ", if you'd like to change..."

Schala looked down, noticing she still wore the same clothes as that morning. The same clothes she took to battle against the Galbadian soldiers and that unavoidably got either damaged or smeared with blood, dirt and/or gunpowder. It wasn't exactly the ideal clothing conditions to be taken to a concert.

It suddenly flashed in her mind their second meeting, in the Timber Owls Base train. Back then, and it felt like a lifetime had passed, she caught him sleeping shirtless and then he got about to leave without even realising it. She recalled how he awkwardly stepped out to put something on and couldn't stop recognising on herself the same exact feeling.

But, confusing her pensive look with offense, Rian immediately tried to correct himself.

"Not that you're not ok, I mean..." He started awkwardly, snapping her memory bubble. "You look nice in just about everything..."

Her frown stayed but her eyebrow rose at the comment as she stared at him intently.

"I mean, you look perfect in absolutely anything... Everything...! Err..." He corrected, suddenly afraid he might have botched the whole thing.

He was about to start babbling – some more – in attempt of apologising but she quickly turned, closing the door behind her and he could have sworn on his life, she was smiling.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Night had fallen over Fisherman's Horizon and Balamb Garden had become silent. All repairs had stopped since she couldn't hear the machinery anymore, the only sound being their footsteps on the empty halls of Garden.

Schala had taken only about five minutes to wash up and change out of her battle scorched clothes into something more presentable. She chose a skirt slightly longer than usual with two openings in the front, black boots and a sheer white blouse. Also, and much to Rian's surprise and delight, she had placed hairpins in her hair, pulling the most of it from her eyes and leaving just a couple of strains framing her face.

That sight pleased him because it reminded him of the Ball where they'd first met and shared a dance and he couldn't stop but hope that particular event would repeat itself that night.

Schala, on the other hand, was thinking how impressive, efficient and quick the workmanship of Fisherman's Horizon's crafters and engineers was. The Hall outside the dorms had been rid of the awful, not to mention dangerous, hole in the ground brought by the elevation of the control consol for the Garden. The damage was barely noticeable anymore, the floor having regained the pristine state it had before. The remaining traces of battle, all the way to the central fountain statues, had all been repaired or very close thereof.

If Schala didn't know better, she wouldn't say there had been a civil war within those halls just a couple of days ago.

If the crafters had already done this much in such a short time, she couldn't stop but think how much had the engineers already accomplished. With this level of labour, she wouldn't be surprised if the workers needed more than one more day to wrap everything else up.

Rounding the nearly repaired central area, Schala expected them to head towards the Quad, since it was the only place that could hold such an event. The considerably diminished outer area or the inner ballroom, were the only places within Garden which would support a concert. However, Rian kept walking around the halls and when he started climbing the steps to the lift it was clear enough that wherever the concert was taking place, it was not inside Balamb Garden's walls.

The elevator didn't tardy in arriving and the moment it did they both got inside with Rian pressing the second floor button and confirming Schala's assumption.

"..."

"You look very pretty..." Rian broke the silence that had instilled since they left the dorms' hallway.

Schala looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. She wasn't used to being complimented on her looks, at least not in a situation in which she would take it seriously. She nodded slightly and turned away, observing the fountain from above as the lift rose, all the while, fighting to resist an uneasy smile, her mouth twitching ever so slightly.

Rian wasn't so reticent, smiling freely at the apparent uneasiness of the girl towards praise. It wasn't that she seemed embarrassed, which he would probably find cuter if she was, it was still cute. All other girls he met before at school or elsewhere were always so conceited or over reacting to the littlest of things. Either for being a SeeD or just the way she was, Schala was one unique woman.

The lift stopped and both got off, walking normally to the access door leading to the second floor balcony. As they crossed the halls, Schala made a point to take notice of the classroom where she saw the galbadian prisoners being held, which now found itself empty. Seemed like one of the FH workers' undertakings, mainly the cages to be built in the basement level, had already been finished.

Another high mark for Fisherman's Horizon's excellence in workmanship.

Stepping through the access door, the environment on the outside was exquisite. The sky was clear, a blanket of stars adorning the dark heavens and shining starlight over the calm ocean waters. A soft, salty breeze blew in from between the work cranes that towered over the Garden's structure, silent and unmoving as the workers were nowhere to be seen. They had probably called it a day already even though it was barely after nightfall.

With such a beautiful night, it was no wonder they didn't wish to squander it with working afterhours.

Schala recalled they were going to a concert and couldn't stop but wondering if it was open invitation, meaning the FH people could also attend, though she was unsure if they'd be up to yet another commotion. But she also had to add to her string of thought, it looked like the perfect night for such a performance.

They walked through the catwalks heading towards the town at a steady, non hasted pace and they did so in silence. In fact, other than those four words spoken in the elevator, Rian had been quiet the whole time though, Schala noticed, every once in a while, his casual smile would widen for a few moments.

Before she could elaborate on the reason behind his amusement or even, Hyne forbids, ask him about it, they rounded the last tower.

Schala had to stop to admire the sight. It had nothing to do with the sight of that morning. In the centre of the solar panels was an enormous stage like structure. It was gigantic with a couple of platforms which were still enveloped in darkness while the structure itself glittered and glowed with an assortment of coloured lights. And it wasn't just the stage. The solar panels reflected the lights creating whole new colours that completely lightened the sky.

"There it is..." Rian started, breaking the silence and her examination of the scene, "the concert area."

Rian was surprised as well. He had been there during construction, but hadn't seen the final result under those conditions. The night really raised the bar onto a whole new level.

Schala kept her stare. She couldn't stop but wondering on the amount of trouble it had taken to make. She set up to talk Inara down about it. Her condition to "using" FH engineers was so as not to disturb work on Garden, but that had been too much.

"Schala, c'mon." Rian called out, already standing on the cargo lift and waiting for her to join him. "They're waiting for us."

Schala frowned at the apparent implication, but didn't have time to ponder as she followed him onto the cargo lift.

"Hey, there." The triplet operating the upper lift controls greeted as he, surprisingly, stepped behind them and activated the lift from the inside.

He smiled as, after touching some buttons and levers, the lift went down as smoothly as before. It made to wonder why there were two lift operators in the first place...

"Looking forward to your friends' show." He added on the way down. "We haven't had a party around here in quite a while. For all the people living here, there aren't that many with musical aptitude."

That was true. Last time anyone in town tried to sing on a microphone, there wasn't any piece of glass intact for half the town.

"Well, we'll see how you guys turn out." He said as the lift reached the bottom and he got out, signalling them to do so as well.

As they did, the young man nodded, looking to the side to a group of friends that gathered nearby. It seemed like they were the final fare before the concert started, and it seemed like the bulk of Fisherman's Horizon had come to watch the show as well.

"Enjoy the concert..." He mentioned before starting to walk away.

He stopped a bit ahead and half turned to look back at them.

"By the way, looking good." He added with a smile before going away for good.

Schala turned to face Rain whom had done the same. She tilted her head slightly, again taking the possible comment slightly awkwardly and he just smiled. She really wasn't used to being commended on her good looks. Why she wasn't more often, he had no clue. And that night in particular, rid of all and any weapon or military indicator, she looked that much prettier.

Today, she was just another girl going to a concert.

They walked out noticing the group whom the triplet joined, identifying the other lift operator, though neither could tell which one was the upper or the lower, and the third, ill mannered triplet. That one was easily identified since, despite them saving the town, he still looked them over with disapproval and distaste.

But nothing was going to ruin that perfect night, so ignoring or dismissing the hateful stare, the two continued onwards to the edge of the solar panel disk.

Schala was surprised the blinding light being cast by both the stage and their reflections on the solar panels didn't cause a distorting effect. She realised, as she stood by the borders that the view of the stage was perfectly clear, though the stage itself was still dark, all the light being directed away from it.

"Hey, Schala, Rian." A familiar voice called out which was immediately recognized as Inara's.

The pair had to step back as they realized what the red headed sharpshooter was wearing. Instead of her usual attire, or even her borrowed one, she now wore a stunning short, blue sparkling dress that contrasted nicely with her red hair. On her hand, as she approached them, she seemed to be carrying a black cowboy hat.

"So... Rian really talked you into coming, huh?" She commented as she approached Schala first, hooking an arm around her and turning her so she wouldn't be overheard. "I must say I'm impressed. The boy managed to deliver." She added meaningfully.

Schala frowned as she stared back at her, not so greatly bothered by being hugged as she would once be. But the other woman's words, not as much as bothered her but confused her. What the hell was she going on about?

"You guys look really good together." She added again withholding the hidden meaning from Schala's understanding.

Inara merely smiled knowingly before turning them both back to face Rian, who had a suspicious frown on his face.

"Everything looks awesome down there." Rian interjected, feeling uncomfortable by not knowing what Inara was whispering about.

One never knew what that woman was thinking... or plotting...

The unspoken intention was clear enough for Inara, who released Schala and approached the railings circling the solar panel disk.

"Of course, it was all done under my close supervision." She replied with a large smile, approaching Rian now.

"FH people are so handy. It turned out just like I planned." She added, discretely putting her arm around Rian now.

Just like she did with Schala, Inara turned him around for a private comment session leaving Schala to continue confused, probably pondering on the possible meaning of her words.

"So you got her here, huh?" Inara told him, nudging him in approval. "Not bad, not bad at all." She added smiling freely, so much it started to make him uncomfortable.

She thought that was just the cutest thing... after Sorphan, that was...

"So..." She continued, pulling him closer while standing on her toes in order to get at his level, "I saved you a seat next to the stage..." she told him, "It's wide, lots of space to move around, just like you wanted..." She added, her innuendo clear as the starry sky above their heads.

"Inar..." Rian tried to comment, but she continued.

"The place is marked so you won't miss it." She wasn't leaving him the room to put a word in. "You'll know it when you see it. Just let it all out tonight..."

Before Rian could try to say anything, she stepped back, moving towards the access path down the solar discs.

"I gotta roll. You guys have fun tonight!" she shouted back as she hurried, not without a wink sent the raven haired young man.

Schala, drawn from her trance, looked at Rian with a raised inquiring eyebrow, but the young man just shrugged to defuse the matter.

"She saved us a seat near the stage." He said, hoping to refocus the purpose of that night. "We'll have the best view." He added.

"Let's go." He added, holding his hand out as if it was meant for her to take it.

Instead, he moved it to the side and back in a leading bow. Whether that was his original intention or not, none would be the wiser, but Schala took the lead with a small nod. As she passed by him, he rose and walked with her, side by side.

They stepped down the ramped steps leading to the central platform turned stage. Looking randomly to the side, Schala noted that most, if not all of Garden's reduced personnel, including SeeDs and cadets, had taken seats, mostly improvised, all over the solar panels. She could even identify several FH locals spread around as well. They had all come down to see the concert.

Despite what one would think of her, she understood that with all that they went through, a distraction in the form of a parody concert would lift their spirits and relax them before they were forced to head back into battle. With that in mind, she turned her eyes back to the path downwards and left the people to do their bidding

They finally reached the central platform and climbed the stairs onto it, standing right below the stage. This close and even with most of it shed in darkness, Schala could still point out several elements. The stage itself had been build expertly and so they, even so close, could see it all and the people in the back as well, due to the elevation of the solar panel structure itself. The stage was plain and it had several platforms, accessible by ramps, some of which had musical instruments on them, mainly what looked like the outline of a grand piano and a set of drums on opposite sides in the back.

One single light turned on then, illuminating only the front portion of the stage but enough to shed light over Sorphan as he stepped forward. He too was wearing something different from the usual get up.

He was using a reflective grey vest with a light brown mid arm t-shirt underneath. The tight pants matched the vest, though of a less reflective material, that ended in a pair of ankle brown boots with narrow tips. His hair was as unruly as ever, and maybe a bit more since it stabbed all over the place and on his wrists was matching dark brown leather bracers.

All around, he looked ready to rock.

He stepped to the edge where there was a stand-in microphone and it was then that Schala noticed he had a strapped electric guitar hanging around his shoulder and resting at waist level. The guitar was black with several stripes of bright gold. As he had to regulate the mic's height to accommodate him – whoever had set it up was considerably shorter – he noticed the pair immediately below him and couldn't stop greeting them with an energetic wave before focusing on the rest of his audience.

"Welcome ladies and gents, to our little performance." He spoke into the microphone causing his voice to carry till the far reaches of the town.

"This show is for all of you out there who have been through more than your fair share as of late, and are in need of a well deserved break from it all..." He shouted into the crowd that cheered back, only increasing his enthusiasm.

"This is especially..." He continued once the audience allowed him to speak once more, "dedicated to one person. One to whom a large weight has been placed upon and hopefully, this will help to lighten the load."

His stare shifted from the crowd to focus again on the people right below him, at the lower edge of the stage, and to one in particular who suddenly straightened and frowned. Schala did not like where that was going...

"This concert is for you, Schala." Her fears were confirmed at that statement. "As congratulations on your promotion. We back you up all the way, girl."

Schala stepped back. So much for a relaxing concert attendance with no concerns or attention time...

She'd had it so she instinctually turned to leave but was forced to halt her intentions. She looked down at her left arm to find another hand restricting her and keeping her in place. Following the length of the sleeved arm, she couldn't hide the surprise on her face to verify that it was Rian that had grabbed her.

"That's it Rian! Don't let her get away!" Sorphan cheered from the stage, ignoring the fact that Rian was risking himself to ending up unconscious on the cold floor for his rather daring move, but he was more worried with making her stay and enjoy herself.

Whether she wanted to or not, and no matter the casualties.

"Wait." Rian called out though his gesture was more than enough to imply it.

Schala stared at him, her surprise being that he would stop her physically. She was used to having to hear his strong opinions and comments and all that, but it was the first time he'd made the first physical contact to the point of placing his hands on her.

Still, she didn't shake her hand away from his hold.

"They really put in a lot of effort into this." He told her, seeing her not having already bolted outta there as a sign she might be inclined to stay. "And you don't have to do anything... just stay and listen, that's all they want."

Schala was hesitant. She didn't like the fact that they had went to all that trouble for her, even involving the FH engineers into it. And she couldn't understand why they would to something this big because of her.

Still, and despite having every fibber of her being telling her to just leave, she couldn't ignore Rian's words... _"Just stay and listen, that's all they want."_ It was a very hard thing for her to do, to stay there just to please them... but still, she couldn't bring herself to leave after how Rian asked her to stay.

She nodded in defeat causing both teens to smile either in victory or just pure pleasure that Schala was letting herself go more and more.

"Alright!" Sorphan cheered loudly, his happiness heard throughout the town."Enjoy the show, Commander!" He added.

To that, Schala's surrendered expression gained a new deep frown at the title called, and Rian was slightly worried Sorphan had gone too far. His hand even jerked slightly as if she were to leave, but stayed in place.

Like herself, the others had been through a lot as well and if they needed that performance to clear their heads, and needed her to be there to share it with them, she would give in to them this time. She decided to stay, despite not being entirely pleased.

On the other hand, Rian couldn't be happier that the date was really happening, that she hadn't run away and, especially, that she hadn't shove his hand away.

"Let's hit it, guys!" Sorphan shouted to the speakers, stepping back as all the lights in the stage turned off.

There was a full five seconds of silence before the speakers sounded out...

"_What can I do for you?"_

The soft female voice echoed throughout the arena and beyond the rims of the solar panels.

The stage lights turned on, one at the time and with different colours, the first shining over Sorphan as the first cords coming from his electric guitar filled the void after the first words.

His fingers moved swiftly and without skipping a beat, keeping a quickening pace into an active tune. For a couple of seconds, he was the only one playing but soon another light lit another part of the stage.

Inara stepped into place, moving her fingers expertly throughout the strings of her bright red bass guitar, keeping his rhythm and adding melody onto it. She was wearing the same as what they saw her in earlier, but was now wearing her cowboy hat that complemented with her boots, added to her look.

She was enjoying herself greatly, playing while looking either at the audience, Schala and Rian or Sorphan, a constant smile and cheerfulness in her stance.

A fast pace drumming sounded before the light shone at a back corner of the stage, illuminating both the drum base and its player. Zanya hit the sticks all around the drums and plates, apparently in a frenzy but every hit, every thumb and every plate ringing sounded in accordance with the rest of the instruments already playing.

Zanya's shape was barely visible behind the large drums, but the positioning of the stage still allowed view onto her alternative attire, more suitable for a performance, and that suited her rather well. She wore a thin black top under a dark netted shirt reaching from her collar bone to her waist that allowed the view of her intrinsic set of tribal tattoos covering the left side of her chest and stomach. She wore shorts with their right leg reaching just above the knee and her left below it, which was adorned with similar yellow and red tribal markings as her black tattoos. Around her waist, her typical white belt hanged to the side, laying on the floor of the stage. On her feet, a pair of black combat sneakers pedalled the main drum every other second.

Next, a peculiar sound was heard. It seemed a bit off, more jazz oriented, but it happened to complement the melody in an unexpectedly good way. As the lights went up at the far end of the stage, Nida's shape came into view. He was rocking a golden saxophone in either fast or slow motions while his fingers hammered its length without missing a note, adding depth to the tune.

It was a surprise for most of the audience, Schala included, to see him there, playing in a different outfit, certainly not chosen by him. It consisted of dark blue suit pants, crumbled at the edges as they went under his black, untied ankle boots. On the top part, he wore a slender purple vest over an olive green shirt that oddly worked together. His hair was spiked with gel, other than his usual straight outline, and he wore shades in the darkness as he played with his eyes closed behind them, feeling the music and playing with all his soul.

It didn't take long after that for the last light to turn on the back centre stage and illuminate the grand piano, which Schala had already noticed before, and its player. The only member of the close knit group who was missing was Quentin and it was no surprise to find him sitting in the piano stool, dancing with his hands over the white and black keys and giving an extra impact to the melody being played. Still of note, was the fact he was the only one thus far not to have strayed from his usual wardrobe, wearing his usual white shirt and blue trousers under his long vest ensemble which fell on the back of the stool, but that complimented the image perfectly.

The big surprise in the piano scene was the character standing next to it. Xu stood half leaning over the big, dark grand piano wearing a slink low back, silk red dress that attached at the neck and reached her mid thighs with an opening on the right side revealing a satin and lace black girdle. Her hair was puffed up and she wore long sparkling earrings and a long, fancy necklace.

As the music gained momentum, Xu leaned off the piano and raised her hands to her face, revealing herself holding a microphone to which she immediately started to sing along the melody, moving through the stage as she repeated the first lines a couple more times before starting off the song itself.

"_Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart_

_I could see a place that's something like this_

_Every now and then I don't know what to do_

_Still I know that I can never go back_

_..."_

And so, the band was complete, playing a fast tune song that had most of their listeners stand up from their improvised seats and start to dance to the groove.

Sound which was of surprisingly good quality, Rian wondered, especially considering the incredibly reduced amount of time the performers had to prepare and their own concerns on the matter. SeeDs were used to not fail at anything and everything they did, and despite all odds, this was not going to be their chance to break that self imposed rule.

Rian slightly nudged his hand, still grabbing Schala's as to call her attention. She was also staring at the immense spectacle her companions had been able to pull out of their hats... well, Inara's hat anyway. And they were really good, not that Schala was any expert.

Feeling the pull from her limb, Schala turned to Rian who was smiling sweetly at her. When she turned, he signalled her to walk with him so they'd take their seats, the ones Inara so conveniently arranged for. Nodding in agreement, Schala followed after him, for once not taking the lead.

And she was alright with it at that point.

They walked hand in hand for a couple of steps till Rian found it. It wasn't that much of a reservation, he reasoned, a single magazine resting on the side ledge, the same where the meeting for the concert had taken place that afternoon. As Rian stepped close enough, he almost freaked at the type of magazine the sharpshooter had chosen to mark their spot. Not only was it not the type of magazine Rian would read less alone possess, it could give the wrong impression to whoever happened to see it.

He rushed forward to grab it before anyone, mainly her date, could see it, completely forgetting he still held hands to the person in question. She felt a jerk and was forced to double step to prevent falling and eventually had to let go completely. Rian kneeled and grabbed the offensive item, hiding it behind his back as he turned and smiled at her. Schala looked at him in a mix of confusion and inquisition, but he ignored it for lack of a proper explanation, opting to signal her that they were at their assigned location.

Still with a frown on her face, Schala stepped into place, sitting on the slightly elevated edge of the platform with her legs crossed ahead of her. Letting his eyes rest on her as she sat, Rian made to follow in her example, lowering into a sitting position while discreetly throwing the magazine out of sight. He relaxed a bit after that, letting his stare fall on Schala once more as she looked up at the concert.

After a moment shared in silence, with only the music flowing around them, Rian turned his eyes away from her fair face and looked up at their friends. He was determined to strike a conversation, since that's also what he intended when he dragged her there that night. There were some things that needed to be said and as much as it pained him to disturb the perfect atmosphere, he couldn't let this opportunity go by.

"They're not half bad, actually... I expected them to be more lacking." He opted by starting the conversation with a less intrusive comment.

Schala nodded in agreement. She remembered her roommate – yes she had some recalls of them sharing a room though, and often by choice, she'd forget about it – attempting to play on a guitar she said once belonged to her grandfather. After a cord or two, she screamed in a panic that she'd broken the strings and her father was going to kill her. Schala highly doubted the peaceful looking man would lift a finger against his beloved daughter apart from the occasional smack on the back of her head, but it went to prove Zanya and string instruments were a bad combination.

However with the drums she handled herself rather well. Without a doubt, percussion was her gig.

Rian stayed in silence, looking back at the stage and their friends performing before resuming his intended topic.

"So... I've been wondering..." He started again, drawing Schala's attention from the performance and on to him.

He remained looking at the stage for a little while longer, turning then to face her and stare into her inquiring eyes.

"About this promotion..." He continued, letting the issue linger in the air.

Schala frowned to the choice of topic, turning her face away to look up at the stage once more. It was clear to Rian that he had touched a subject she'd rather not talk about at that moment, the supposedly relaxing time they'd arrange for her.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it..." He started again, gaining a slight confirming jerk, but she still wouldn't turn back to face him.

_You got that right..._ Schala wondered. After spending an entire afternoon thinking about it, she didn't want to ponder on it anymore. She had already made up her mind on the matter, there was no longer the need to dwell deeper into it.

"And I know the next couple of days or even weeks will involve a lot of work for you..." He continued, determined to see it through, "and you might be thinking about handling it all on your own..." He added with a soft, knowing smile.

_Yeah... that sounds like me..._ She reasoned. She was the kind of person to hold it all on the inside, even she was aware of that. She turned back at him, reinforcing his resolve.

"All I wanted to say was..." He paused, staring deeply into her eyes, unblinking, making sure she was truly paying attention to him this time and that she knew that he was serious, "You are not alone..."

She blinked out of her stare, both surprised and inquiring.

"You're a loner, I get it." He started to elaborate. "You probably could never depend on anyone before, either by choice or not having a choice at all, but..." he paused to find the words, "...right now you are not alone."

Schala's frown deepened slightly as that hit a particular nerve. He was right in his assumption. Ever since she was young, growing up without parents, alone in an orphanage and then thrown into Garden at the age of seven, forced to fend for herself among her peers...

She might have started by not having a choice in being alone but then, she grew accustomed to being alone and preferred it like that...

"You are surrounded by people who lo... who care about you." He corrected himself in time, not wanting to drop the L bomb on her just yet. "Who worry and care enough they'd pull this off in less than half a day just to cheer you up."

She looked back at the stage for a moment, thinking about it... Sure, they were all comrades in arms, they'd been through a lot together and she admitted that such experiences created strong bonds between them. But still, that wouldn't account for someone, in this case several someone's, going through all that trouble just for her sake... She still couldn't comprehend that behaviour entirely...

"We're all here for you..." Rian continued, making her turn once more to face him, "either to fight beside you, to talk or just listen..."

"All we want is for you to share the burden, not to try doing everything by yourself because you don't need to anymore."

He paused as he looked at her with sweet eyes, her own staring back at him with intense awareness, taking in his every word.

"You are surrounded by friends and all we want is to be there for you... so let us..." He added with a dazzling smile, his case partially made.

_Be there for me... can you really do that?_ Schala pondered, considering his words and their meaning...

_In this life there are no guarantees... we may be together today and dead tomorrow..._ Especially considering their line of work...

_What's the point of friendship and companionship if it can be obliterated in a blink of an eye...?_

_And once it's gone, what's left? Pain, suffering... to get close to someone and have them ripped away from you, isn't it just too much to bear?_

_Isn't it better to just cut your losses from the start and just spend your life alone so you never have to go through that suffering?_

She thought with a mental cringe, suddenly unsure if it was not already too late for her to try and make that distinguish...

On the background, the long forgotten concert kept going on. A couple other songs had played themselves out. At that moment, a slower song started to fill the silence around them...

"_Whenever sang my songs_

_On the stage, on my own"_

"I know I'm dropping a bombshell on your lap right now." He told her.

"_Whenever said my words"_

"And I know it's something you are not comfortable with... all I ask is that you think about it... like I need to ask that..." he chuckled, knowing perfectly well how she over thought about everything.

"_Wishing they would be heard"_

He returned his eyes to hers, smiling softly as to reassure her of his words.

"_I saw you smiling at me"_

"Just consider it... consider us for a moment." He asked her, wishing deeply for her to do just that.

"_Was it real or just my fantasy?"_

"You can rely on us," he added, "...we'll always be here for you." He emphasized.

"_You'd always be there in the corner"_

"Will you? How can you be sure...?" Schala suddenly said, catching him off guard.

"_Of this tiny little bar"_

"What?" He replied in surprise.

He expected her to think about it, he didn't think she'd reply there and then.

And the point where she focused on... He could tell, he finally realised how vulnerable she really was... How the fear of losing the people she'd grown so attached to terrified the hell outta her...

"_My last night here for you"_

"How do you know you'll be here for me forever?" She elaborated, her face and voice emotionless, as usual, but her eyes betrayed some anxiety for his answer. "You can't know that..."

"_Same old songs, just once more"_

No one knew how long they had on that "Earth". Making a promise to be there forever, it was a sure way to have it eventually broken...

"_My last night here with you?"_

"Well, no... I suppose I can't..." Rian reasoned, but refused to give in, not when he had at last cracked the walls and made her open up to him.

"_Maybe yes, maybe no"_

He inched closer, breaking through her personal space but did nothing more than stare at her stormy blue-grey eyes, so filled of confusing clouds.

"_I kind of liked it your way"_

"But I'm here now. Isn't that enough?" He let out, keeping his eyes on her, trying to make her understand that he would never betray her...

"_How you shyly placed your eyes on me"_

She stared back at him, her frown gone as his words and actions, echoed by the music playing on the background, made it impossible for her to even blink, less alone tear her eyes off his.

"_Oh, did you ever know?"_

He decided to continue, then, taking advantage of the moment and momentum to tell her what he'd always wanted to say...

"_That I had mine on you"_

"I'm here, so depend on me... talk to me or at me, either way..." He paused, finding the right words to express his feelings.

He'd been wanting to tell her all those things for so long, practiced in so many times in his head, but when the time came, the words just pooled outta him. He was so into it, he barely even registered he was no longer talking for the rest of them, but just for himself...

Schala listened intently. She sure didn't expect the conversation to turn around her like that. She didn't know what to say, or react to his, well... sort of confession...

"_Darling, so there you are"_

"I want to know what's on your mind, what's troubling you or what makes you happy..."

"_With that look on your face"_

He wanted to make **her** happy... no matter what it took... He had fallen so heads over heels over that girl, he had lost himself into her...

"_As if you're never hurt"_

"I want to know you and I want you to know you can count on me..." He moved closer, resting his hand on hers, which she didn't move, paralyzed by his words... "For anything..."

"_As if you're never down"_

He wanted to be her support, someone she could lean on. But she wasn't sure she could do that... All her life, she'd tried not doing exactly that...

"_Shall I be the one for you?_

"So, what do you want?" He suddenly asked, his words running away from him and catching her completely off guard...

"_Who pinches you softly but sure"_

_What __**do**__ I want? I don't think I even know..._ She wondered, truly unsure what her answer would be to that question, asked to her not for the first time... So, as per usual, she changed the target of the query...

"_If frown is shown then..."_

"What about you?" She focused on him completely, diverting the question but was suddenly lost in intense brown eyes...

"_I will know that you are no dreamer"_

She had barely noticed, didn't even realize... he'd been staring at her that entire time... Whenever she'd turn her eyes away or closed them in thought, his hadn't wavered for long.

He'd kept his eyes on her, burring his intentions into her asking, practically begging her to see him, to really see him and confide in him, trust him. He wanted to be a part of her life, to get to really know her.

He already knew a part of her, so much he knew she was just deflecting the question back at him because she didn't know the answer herself.

What made her happy... it must have been something she never thought for herself...

They kept staring at each other, stormy blue locked on chocolate brown, either completely unable to tear their gaze away...

"What do you want?" She repeated, her tone suddenly softer... her question, an echo of the same words being said towards someone else...

"_So let me come to you"_

"Me?" He wondered, but he had known the answer to that question for a long time... "I've got what I want... right here."

"_Close as I want to be"_

"I want this moment to last forever, here... with you, under the moonlight, music on the background..."

"_Close enough for me"_

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be..." He concluded, his stare soft as he kept leaning towards her and was now almost on top of her.

"_To feel your heart beating fast"_

She was stunned beyond words, or even coherent thoughts. There was this surge running through her, lulling her into a calm and at the same time excited moment. Before she could ponder more on this sensation she was so unfamiliar with, Rian stood up, staring down at her as he stretched his hand to her, holding it in front of her for her to take it.

"_And stay there as I whisper"_

She stared at the offered hand, hesitant to take it. But then his words echoed in her head, "_depend on me, rely on me... trust me._.."

"_How I loved your peaceful eyes on me"_

Raising her eyes to his, she placed her hand on his and with a both thankful and excited smile, he pulled her up into a loose hold, not quite a hug yet, all the while never tearing their eyes from each other.

"_Did you ever know?"_

Just like in the SeeD Inauguration Ball, Rian took her hand and led her a bit more to the centre of the platform, so they would have all the room they needed. And this time, he didn't need to lead her other hand to his shoulder as she did it willingly, both losing themselves in the moment.

"_That I had mine on you?"_

As she music danced around them, they too moved accordingly... no inhibitions, no restrains... Just a man and a woman moving closely together at the slow paced rhythm of a song that spoke straight into their hearts...

"_Darling, so share with me_

_Your love if you have enough_

_Your tears if you're holding back_

_Or pain if that's what it is_

_How can I let you know?_

_I'm more than the dress and the voice_

_Just reach me out then_

_You will know that you are not dreaming"_

As the music continued to play, and they continued to dance, all around the solar panel couples, either self-made or due to current circumstances, shared the dance floor wherever they were and could. They all danced to the music that touched at their hearts...

_"Darling, so there you are_

_With that look on your face_

_As if you're never hurt_

_As if you're never down_

_Shall I be the one for you?_

_Who pinches you softly but sure_

_If frown is shown then _

_I will know that you are no dreamer"_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"That... was... perfect..." Inara let out as she crossed the halls at highly late hours, walking side by side with her fellow band members.

The concert had ended late, very late at that and even so, most of the audience had stayed till the very end. After the last song played, and necessary encore, the people finally started to clear the "concert hall" and after that, Sorphan insisted they cleaned up the stage and put the instruments away themselves, not wanting to increase the FH men's workload, who had done so much for them already.

It had taken time and now they were all very, very tired as they dragged themselves to their dorm rooms...

But still, it had been awesome.

"It went much better than I thought it would." Quentin admitted, he being the one who was more worried at the lack of preparation.

"It was all wonderful..." Xu let out between yawns, half walking half being led by Quentin as they all pulled through together with the sole purpose of reaching their rooms... and only then collapse on the bed.

"The people were really into it." Zanya cheered on, apparently not at all tired after the extremely long day they all had.

And especially considering the load she had to carry. Nida had fallen asleep while they were cleaning up the stage area and, not wanting to leave him there, they were forced to carry him back to his room, duty that had befallen the muscle of the group. Zanya carried him as if he were no heavier than an oversized, man shaped soft pillow.

The stage itself was left up since Sorphan had arranged for the FH people to dismantle it and take the parts back to the Garden storage room... He had plans for those.

"Everything was more than perfect!" Sorphan cheered, also apparently unaffected by the late hour or strain of the day.

"And did you see Rian sneaking out with Schala? That was so awesome!" He squealed a little bit, holding his hands together in excitement like a little boy...

The only part of him which was not like a little boy was his height.

And it was true. Little after they finished their first slow song, Rian and Schala, who had been dancing much to everyone's – everyone who was paying particular attention to them, anyways – delight.

Now, what they had sneaked out to do? None had any idea.

"I still say we should have followed them..." Zanya commented, adjusting her cargo that threatened to fall off her shoulders.

"I am curious..." Sorphan added in. "But we were in the middle of a concert, we couldn't just drop everything and go!" Though at the time, the thought had crossed his mind...

All of them had some morbid curiosity to know what they were up to. Truth was, they didn't have the slightest clue.

They could have just gone back to the Garden straight after, though the fact the lift operating twins had stayed in the concert till the end made that scenario less likely. They could have just wandered around the town, enjoying the soft sound of the waves hitting the base of the structures and gone back to the Garden a while after leaving the concert. Or they could still be out there, enjoying the night.

Of course there was also the possibility they had come back to the dorms, but were still together... It was that possibility that nagged in the mind of some who struggled with the will to go check either of their rooms...

After all, Rian had managed to convince her to attend the concert... who knew what else could he talk her into...?

"Just leave them alone..." Inara, surprisingly enough, was their advocate, insisting on more than one occasion that they'd leave them be.

"Let them have their moment... Whatever that may be..." She added, to which the rest of them gave in.

True, she was also curious and she would probably corner either one or the other for intel in the morning, though Rian was more likely to spill the beams... But for now, she wanted them to have exactly that, their one moment together after and before any confusion could arise.

To let them have their one peaceful night together...

It was with that thought that the SeeDs parted ways to each of their dorms, with the exception of Xu who already shared a room with Quentin, and Zanya who had to drop off her shipment first before falling into her own bed...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As the night gave way to dawn and the first rays of light peaked over the horizon, steps could be heard throughout the halls of the otherwise silent Balamb Garden

The major population still slept after the late night outdoors' activities, but the steps didn't belong to any who had just woken up, but to those that had yet gone to sleep.

Rian and Schala crossed the halls in silence, much like they had spent the most of the night after leaving the concert grounds. For hours, they just walked around under the starlight, hand in hand, merely sharing the comfort of each other's company.

Rian was more than content to taking things slowly, understanding that any faster and Schala could regress to her closed heart, never to let anyone in again. But she had taken her defences down for him that night. For that night, they had just been a boy and a girl, holding hands, all night... no fights, no pressure... no problems troubling their minds...

He understood that night had been special for both of them, and that the next day things would go back to how they were, for the most part at least. The fixing of Garden so that they could go after the sorceress, Schala as commander of SeeD, were things Rian knew he couldn't change and that would return to the top of the priority list.

But at least, for one night, Schala could forget about all of that and enjoy the last moment of complete peace and relaxation she would be entitled to for the long times ahead...

That was the main reason Rian had prolonged that night for as long as he could... The days would be hard again starting tomorrow, but Rian hoped Schala would not go completely to the way she was and that she could rely on him more... on him and on the rest of the gang as well.

As for Schala, it had also been a big step, letting herself go like that. She was always aware, always prepared to jump into action at the littlest sign and she preferred it like that. But being with Rian was different. It was not that she felt safe enough that she didn't feel the need to defend herself, quite the opposite. When she was around Rian, in normal circumstances, she always saw the need to be extra protective of him, due to his lack of SeeD training and client status and all. But that night had been different.

Being in such an intimate situation with him, with no danger in sight, actually allowed her to let herself go a bit, let her worries pass her by. Around him, her body felt relaxed. There was no fighting tension, no physical strain. There was the occasional mental strain, when he went all righteous and noisy and profound, but for the last couple of days, his words hadn't come as much of an attack but mostly as support, and her strain had slowly lessened. His words that night had made her think, but there was no pressure, no on the dot decision to be made.

At that time, with all that she'd been through and all that was expecting her and from her in the next days, she welcomed his presence and allowed herself to just be led away...

The dawn's light started to lighten the sky at a distance, signalling the night's end. No matter how they both kinda wanted for it to last longer, either to enjoy the other one's company or to postpone the decision making and responsibilities. Either way, the magical night was over and it was time to return to the rest of the world.

With that thought in mind, they reached the dorms' wing, heading towards Schala's room first since it was the closest to the entrance. Arriving at her door, Schala reached to her pocket for the card key but found it still being held by Rian's who tightened his grip for an instant instead of letting go.

She turned to him as he did as well, both sharing one long stare into each other's eyes and both knowing that was the end of the good times.

Rian moved first, but instead of releasing her hand and let her walk away, he raised it to his lips, closing his eyes as he gave it a long tender, soft kiss, using his thumb to massage her knuckles that had suddenly grown stiff. It was a bold move, and he was barely able to resist smiling against the back of her hand for her reaction. After a longer moment than necessary, Rian lifted his head, having to try his hardest not to take advantage of her clearly stunned state and do something more daring.

Instead, he stepped back, releasing her hand which remained hanging in the air where he left it, frozen in place, and spoke.

"Good night." He said in a soft voice, turning to the side and walking away before his instincts overran his common sense.

Reaching the corner, he spared her one last glance, finding her standing where he left her, her hand in the air and her face turned towards his departing form. Their eyes met one more time before he was out of sight and he had to support himself on the wall to prevent from falling.

Schala remained upright and frozen in place for a while. She surely didn't see that one coming, his bold move. She turned her head away from the spot where Rian had disappeared a few minutes ago to look at her raised hand, the tingling of his lips on her skin still present. True, they'd held hands for about the entire night, but that felt so different.

She eventually broke the spell and turned back to her dorm, reaching for her keys and stepping inside, closing the door behind her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The dawn's light shone on the calm coastal waters of Balamb Island, starting to dissipate the night's mist that temporarily gave cover to the fast approaching galbadian armada, led by the massive red snake that was Galbadia Garden.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"_**So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." Young Noah,**_

_**The Notebook**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hey again! Told ya I'd be back soon ;P_

_So here it is, the final part of the chapter I originally thought would be with the previous one... glad I had my beloved Beta change my mind... And she was the one that came up with the Chappy's name too, and if you listen to the song, it does apply for the most part XD._

_I really liked writing the concert part as well as the preparation leading up to it. It was fun, and that's what it's all about. And, as for the use of Real Emotion from FFX-2, well... I wanted more than one song to be played during a concert and, as I also wanted to keep it in house, at least for the time being, this was the FF song that came to mind. _

_Besides, I figured that... if I ever were to write a Twisted Fantasy X and its sequel... there was NO WAY in heaven or hell that I would make a male Yuna sing... especially that song, I mean, c'mon? I don't think anyone would want to see that..._

_As for the song-fic portion of the chapter... I thought about it and my Beta backed me up... it's really an awesome and probably the only way to do that part..._

_Anyway, hope you liked it and rest assured, I'm already working on the next chapter... be ready for another all original XD(though, don't hold your breath... still working on the thesis and don't want you dear readers choking to death :P)_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_Reply to anonymous replies part: _

_As you might have guess, this part will be empty today... considering I barely gave you, my beloved readers, time to read two paragraphs of the first chapter, it'd be close to impossible for me to have reviews on that chapter by the time I post this one... which I'm guessing will be just a couple of minutes apart... Oh well ;P_


	37. Chapter 37: Balamb Under Siege

**Disclaimer: **_I could never own Final Fantasy VIII... don't have that kind of budget..._

**Chapter 37 – Balamb Under Siege**

The sun dawned on the town of Balamb like every other day. The calmness and quietness of the night was riddled by the awakening townsfolk opening the doors of their homes or their shops, starting a new work or leisure day.

The innkeeper, a middle-aged man with casual brown trousers held by red suspenders over his checker shirt, strode out of his establishment's wide see-through blue doors, taking in the salty breeze from the ocean which bathed his adored town. His eyes focused as he saw people, his friends and long time neighbours roaming the streets, drawing a smile at the new life that spilled from their homes.

The town had always been a spot for Balamb Garden's students to wander, shop or just take a relaxing stroll on their hours off the military academy, but never the flow had been so intense. The sudden rush of trucks and cars from the Garden had startled the townsfolk out of the gossip of Pops Dincht's stolen car, a crime rare in a town where everyone knew each other. Rarer still considering Balamb Town was the only settlement in the whole island, apart from the Garden itself, and there was really no place anyone could run off with a stolen red pickup truck.

The SeeDs and cadets pooled into town, not without brewing their share of panic in the locals especially at the mention of incoming missiles. Balamb Garden had undertaken a massive evacuation and the trains going out of town had never been fuller. That was, the few trains stored in the train yard since half the train station had collapsed due to the crashing of a runaway train earlier that morning. The Balambians still didn't know how that had happened but all incoming trains had been cancelled till the station could be repaired, and if there were no trains coming in, there were no trains getting out either.

The SeeDs and cadets unable to board were forced to linger even after a massive explosion sounded near the Garden's location and then the unimaginable thing happened with the sight of a mobile Balamb Garden flying towards town. Such was the surprise and the stun, panic only ensued when the risk was diverted as the massive blue shape turned in the last possible second, avoiding the town and splashing into the ocean, sailing out into the horizon.

It had been the more action the town had been through ever since little Miss Dincht had enrolled in the military academy.

Now, joining the townsfolk roaming the streets where the youngsters that either couldn't board the train or wouldn't. Most were in their mid twenties or teenagers still, and a handful of children the locals were more than happy to shelter in their homes. They'd shed their uniforms and packed their weapons and now no one would say they weren't just part of town.

"Steve?" A female voice called out from within the little portside hotel.

A woman in her early forties stepped out the wide doors, dangling her long brown hair in a single, practical braid that reached till her lower back, wearing a simple working dress with a pristine light blue apron on her waist.

"Yes, darling." Steve, the innkeeper replied.

"Can you go down to the harbour, see if Flint has come back from his fishing trip? Our stock is getting low." She asked, shaking the dusty welcome mat on the side of the building.

"Sure, I'll go in a bit." He replied and she stared at him with an impatient streak.

Her husband was apt, had raised the inn from a rundown canned fish factory and had been quite a catch at the time they tied the knot. However, from a couple years back, all he did was stand outside the establishment, looking at nowhere or playing his silly card games while she had to run the inn practically by herself. His attention span had considerably diminished. Still, she was patient.

"We really could use a few extra kilograms for lunch." She added suggestively.

It was true, ever since the Garden people had come to town not only was the inn practically full, they served considerably more meals. And young people ate quite a lot.

"I'll be going in a bit." He repeated, seeming to only be paying half attention.

She let go an exasperated sigh. She didn't know what else to do with him.

"I'll go with him, Gina." A cheerful male voice sounded from the path leading into town. "I'll make sure he gets his sorry ass into gear."

Gina turned her attention to the path leading up into town where a tall, skinny man, with his long hair in a low pony tail and around the couple's age, approached them. By his side walked the two children he had taken into his home to look after, a short brunet boy wearing a dark t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt and jeans and a girl, slightly taller than the boy, with her blond hair up in twin pigtails, wearing a simple cream t-shirt and a denim mini-skirt.

The kids giggled at the tall man's speech choice and the woman smiled. If there was someone that was the complete opposite of her husband's current self, he was Pops Dincht. There was no one more active and pro-active anywhere else in town.

"Will you please? I don't want to have to serve canned food and leftovers to the young people. They need proper food." She emphasized.

"Indeed." Pops said with a stunning smile.

Gina sighed as Pops neared her husband to convince him into go to the harbour. She stared as they started going down the path, thinking not for the first time in her life whether she made a mistake in her choice of partner…

Ignorant of the woman's doubts and thoughts, the two men and the two children walked cheerfully down the path towards the docks.

It was early in the morning, but the fisher boats were already docked and unloading their catch for the day. Tons of fish were being shipped into wheeled carts towards the marketplace, all the fisherman and boat owners shouting out prices and greetings, and the occasional insult Pops was hoping the kids were too far out to listen.

"Hey, Flint!" Pops called out once the four of them were in the harbour, waving at a man around the two grownups' age, standing on a large red and yellow fishing boat.

Flint, the man in question, was wearing a bright red sweater with its sleeves rolled up, and blue denim overalls also with the legs rolled up almost to the knees. On his feet he wore bright yellow rubber boots that made weird little squeaking sounds at every other step he gave.

Hearing his name called, Flint turned from emptying the nets onto his deck to face the new arrivals, revealing a thick unmade greying beard and short clumsily brushed hair.

"Well, look what the tide dragged in." He pointed out, cleaning his hands on an old cloth and moving to greet his old friends by the bow.

"What's up, Pops? Changed your mind about joining me on the high seas?" He wondered, leaning over the edge of the boat, looking from one man to the other. "And you, Steve? The Mrs givin' ya a hard time again?"

Pops smiled as Steve scratched his head in admittance. Flint just laughed it out, noticing the two kids by the taller man's side, the girl half hiding behind him while the boy seemed fascinated with the large boat.

"Not this time, Flint." Pops replied, keeping his smile up.

Once upon a time, Pops was quite the fisherman, going out to sea sometimes for days on end so he could support and feed the family. However, when his wife died, he couldn't leave little Zanya alone. And even though there were people in town willing, or able to be convinced to take care of her – she was quite the firecracker growing up... and even now – he couldn't bare the idea of an accident out there leaving her alone once more.

And so, he switched professions becoming a cook and handyman. The pay wasn't as good, but the table never went without hot-dogs and his little girl always had everything she needed... including a loving father to raise her.

Even after Zanya joined Balamb Garden – a decision that had cost him dearly to agree to – he never saw the need or the feel to go out to sea again. He had made a life for himself, and couldn't be more content.

"Well, that's fine." Flint replied, finishing his work as the dock workers boarded his ship to pack up the fish in cartwheels so it could be transported off his ship.

He asked him that question every single time they met, and his answer was always the same so it came to no surprise. The man had changed the seas for the land, and he would never blame him for it.

"How about that little squirt you have there?" He mentioned, signalling the boy as he lit anarched and visibly old and worn curve pipe.

The only thing that made it worthwhile to come to shore, was to enjoy a good puffs of his pipe in a relaxed andgenerally dry environment.

The boy, Eddie, looked up at his reference gaining a smile from ear to ear. He really liked boats.

"Can I?" Eddie asked, turning to face the tall man with pleading, eager eyes.

Pops hesitated. Flint was a good man, fair in his wagers, generally nice and proper. However on the job, out at sea... he was a true slave driver. He wouldn't dream of letting the little boy suffer in his clutches, but the little girl beat him to it.

"You can't be serious?" She let out, stepping out from behind Pops and into plain view, her fear of the man discarded by the chance to snap at the boy. "You're too little to go on a fishing boat! You'd only get in the way!" She emphasized, placing her hands on her hips as if that made her statement more convincing.

The boy frowned in anger. She always brought up his height only to provoke him. The fact that she was taller than him didn't help matters either.

"I may lack in height, but I make up for it in dedication and hard work! I'd be an asset to the crew!" Eddie spat out.

He used fancier words that was his usual self – words he'd heard from SeeDs and older cadets, unsure of their exact meaning but pretty sure they were applied correctly in that particular situation – doing so also to try and emphasize that he might be short, but old enough to go on a fishing trip.

The girl was slightly taken back for the reply, but she wasn't stunned for long.

"How could you? You can't even swim!" She let out the bombshell, driving the boy into a corner.

The older men listening couldn't stop but laugh at the young exchange. They sure were spirited and it was nice to have more children to make the town livelier, property lost when Zanya left to join Garden.

"Shut up, Rita!" Eddie spat out more forcefully, ending everyone's amusement.

"Eddie, what the hell kinda manners are those?" A voice called out from the port.

The kids antics had drawn a crowd and among them, having left one of the other fishing vessels, came a young woman with short blond hair wearing loose brown slacks and a rolled up white shirt, slightly stained from the performed work. The young woman, obviously part of the Garden evacuated personnel, had as many others like her, insisted in helping out with the works and chores about the town, as both thanks for the people who welcomed them into their homes and apology for the disturbance their very presence was causing in the otherwise peaceful town.

Joan stared at the two kids who did nothing as of late but to argue and cause a nuisance to everyone else... It didn't help matters that they had stayed in the same, temporary foster home.

"But..." Eddie started, nervous for being called out and suddenly angered since the little girl was smirking in triumph for him getting into trouble.

He wouldn't have it being the only one to blame.

"She started it!" He ratted out, pointing and causing the girl to pout in response.

"Did not!" She replied immediately.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did n..."

"Enough!" Joan shouted them to silence, having gotten closer to them during their otherwise endless and definitely pointless discussion.

The people around them either smiled or laughed at the children's antics.

"Now you two will behave, or by Hyne I'll..." Joan halted suddenly, her gaze wandering and then fixing at something in the distance.

The others slowly followed the target of her attention, momentarily forgetting the incident that had just occurred while the kids were relieved they were seemingly getting out of the trouble and certain punishment the SeeD, and their responsible caretaker, would ensue them.

But the relief was short lived as they too followed her gaze, replacing it by sudden fear.

From the early morning mist covering the horizon, came sudden shapes. One particularly large one had given Joan an initial thread of hope that Balamb Garden had found a way back to them from their mobile situation. But her hopes were soon squandered as the shape manifesting itself from the fog held little to no similarities to their giant blue fish. The first thing she thought upon seeing it was that it looked like a snake's head, flying high above the otherwise calm waters. As it grew closer, the round shape gave the impression of a coiled red snake flying over a glowing blue disk, angled forward and spinning as the colossus approached the coast.

It was massive and definitely not Balamb Garden.

Her instincts flared out and were soon justified as on both sides of the red snake, several small vessels and a couple of battle ships came into view. She didn't need to see the symbols on the furiously waving flags onboard to know who they belonged to. Only the Galbadia Empire's military force possessed such an armada.

And it seemed all of it was heading straight towards them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Sir Seifer, sir!" The young soldier saluted the Knight, for once not located by his mistress' side in the sorceress' chamber, former headmaster's office, but on the reception room, lounging with the two strange people they picked up from the harbour town of Dakar.

"What is it?" He barked out at the man, slightly annoyed at the interruption.

Ever since they had been reunited, Seifer had hung around his two closest, if not only, friends Raijin and Fujin, explaining the ropes of the place and their purpose: The ultimate destruction of SeeD.

Saying they had been surprised would have been the understatement of the season. Even as Fujin showed no discernible sign of shock, Raijin's had been more than enough to serve for the both of them. His shocked shout made even the soldiers on guard to storm the room in alert, to which Seifer rudely dismissed.

It was ridiculous, unimaginable... practically impossible such a change in mentality in the couple of days they had been apart.

For as long as they knew Seifer, all he ever wanted was to be a SeeD, to have the resources and the strength to protect the ones he cared for, to defend the Garden. Now they found out that, not only did he approved and was even partially responsible for the launch of missiles bound against Garden, but he fully intended on taking point on open season on SeeDs. It was just unimaginable.

Seifer had given them time to come to terms with his decision, knowing that if anyone was going to follow him, they'd be it. Ever since they met on the first day in Garden, the misfit pair, Seifer took an immediate liking to them and the feeling proved mutual. They had been with him every step of his life for over ten years...

And that was why this new Seifer was so alien, felt so off. They would follow him to the bowels of hell and back either way, but there was definitely something off.

To Raijin, it just felt wickedly weird, a total 180 from his usual self. To Fujin, it hardly felt like the same person was sitting in front of her. In one moment, they were joking around like old times, the next he was cursing SeeD and vowing to kill every single last one of them.

Something didn't feel right...

But still, their loyalty lied with him. More than to SeeD itself, Seifer was the one they followed.

No questions asked. Never a doubt or hesitation.

"Sir, we are approaching the Balambian coast..." The soldier continued, halting immediately as the Knight jumped from his seat in evil-struck enthusiasm.

"Excellent." He said, not referring to the soldier and turning to his companions. "Alright now, you two..." He started.

"You guys will lead the armada and lay siege to Balamb Town." He instructed them, missing or ignoring a new wave of shock reflected in Raijin's face.

Fujin merely remained motionless, expressionless.

"You're to have the soldiers scour the town for any signs of a brown haired woman called Ellone, and bring her into custody... alive." He told them, heading towards the door, completely ignoring the soldier still present in the room that had to actually jump to the side to get out of his way.

"SEIFER!" Fujin called out, making him stop and turn at the threshold.

"WHERE?" She added as to not be misunderstood.

The last thing she wanted to let out was any ounce of doubt she might be feeling about his sudden orders and attitudes.

"Yeah, man, where'yagoin', ya know?" Raijin reinforced.

Seifer smirked and though that would usually reassure them, an old trademark indicating their Seifer was still in there despite his odd behaviour, the evil streak in his expression made a chill go up their spines.

"I'm gonna take our mobile base and check Balamb Garden's site." He responded. "I want to see with my own eyes that blue giant in pieces..." He added.

The chill spread into a total freeze as his words left his lips. Such words, dripping with poison and hatred... that was definitely not the Seifer they used to know... But still...

He was their friend... their only friend... Back in the days, no one wanted to hang out with the ghost girl and the giant poop-head boy. Nothing is quite as cruel as a child, and Garden was no different... children were still cruel to anything that was different. Seifer was the first to go to them, the first to ignore their physical particularities and embrace them as equals, as friends.

Even if Seifer had changed, they would stand by him. No questions, no doubts, no hesitations.

"Oh, before I forget..." Seifer added as he was just about out the door, half turning to face them, "If you happen to find any SeeD or Garden personnel hiding out in town..." He continued.

Their insides twisted as his smirk grew darker.

"You're to take care of them... permanently..." He concluded, turning around and leaving before he could see the terror entrenched in Raijin's face or reflected in Fujin's eye.

The soldier in the room was their only witness, the only spectator to their shocked expressions. But the man wouldn't say anything about it. If the Knight had brought them into their mobile base and under the service of the Sorceress, it was because he had their loyalty. It was because they would follow his orders...

No questions...

No doubts...

No hesitations...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What do we do? What can we do?" Some of the SeeDs wondered as they and the townsfolk gathered at the plaza.

The sight at the harbour had messed with all of them. The mobile form of Galbadia Garden accompanied by the Galbadian armada meant no brightness to their future. No good could come of it...

But still, and that's what was being discussed at that moment, they were but a dozen of SeeDs against several ships certainly filled with soldiers not to mention the high range and calibre weaponry that could easily wipe Balamb Town off the map. And even if they were to take up arms against ground forces, nothing could guarantee the safety of the junior classmenor of the locals. There was no time for a full scale evacuation when they could disembark at any minute.

"Galbadia Garden has been taken by the Sorceress. An open battle here would only cause more casualties. She shows no mercy." A young man with shoulder length blond hair wearing a polo sweater and dark blue jeans commented.

Three people stoodclose to males: one taller, dark chocolate skinned with a shaved head, younger features and stylized torn clothing and one shorter, highly tanned skinned with brown hair, wearing light shorts and a vest. The third was a woman, with a long black braid and wearing a short skirt and a vest over a pristine white shirt, dark stockings and tennis shoes.

The four, easily identified as SeeDs from their posture and speech,stood together and slightly apart from the locals and even the BalambianSeeDs. They were in fact GalbadianSeeDs dispatched especially to Balamb in order to assess the local Garden's situation.

"Have you heard of any survivors?" Joan asked, still in her Fisherman's clothes.

The time wasn't one to be concerned over fashion.

There was a small pause, very small since they couldn't afford to lose the little precious time they had left before the town found itself crawling with soldiers.

"No..." The same man continued replied, "The Garden was thoroughly evacuated, most SeeDs, cadets, Junior classmen and other personnel instructed to seek refuge in Dollet or Timber." he informed.

"We were the only ones told to come here to assess the situation of Balamb Garden." he told them for the second time since they were there.

The GalbadianSeeDs had arrived in the red eye the night before the Garden went mobile, before the missiles hit... before a runaway train crashed into the trainstation rendering it unable to receive more trains. The next morning, as they waited to rent a car, all hell broke loose with the massive arrival of Garden issued vehicles and the boarding of the last remaining train towards the continent. In all the chaos, they had barely enough time to introduce themselves to the local SeeDs and find out what was going on. The missile threat was a surprise but not completely unexpected. Galbadia Garden had always worked closely with the military and knew of their facilities, including the missile base.

They just never thought of the possibility it would be used against them.

"Well, we're glad you're here." Another SeeD, tall with short blond hair and ever growing unmade beard,told them, "If nothing more, to tell us what was happening in the rest of the world. And considering the current situation, to add to our numbers." He added, his intentions slipping through his words.

Joan's eyes widened as she stared at the older SeeD.

"Are you actually suggesting that we fight them here, Patrick?" she asked, not liking the idea of risking the lives of the people and children in an all open war.

"I don't think we'll have a choice!" Patrick replied, the possibility that they had come to kill every single one of them too great to be taken lightly.

"I'm with the boy." one of the townsfolk said, stepping up.

"We are more than able to protect our homes!" another one interjected.

Most had lived there all their lives. It was their home and they reserved the right to protect it against any and everything the galbadians could try and through at them.

The galbadianSeeDs seemed hesitant, though. They knew that about 50 SeeDs and senior cadets, not to mention headmistress Martine herself, had stayed behind to defend their Garden from the Sorceress and her minions. They were more and still they weren't able to prevent the taking of their home by the cursed witch. What could a dozen warriors and a town full of old men and women do against a Sorceress and her own personal Army?

"Everybody, calm down." Pops Dincht spoke up, having kept silent while the SeeDs discussed the circumstances.

The situation was dire and extremely sensitive, but if there was something they could not afford was to be rash and precipitated.

"We don't know what the Galbadians are here for." He added as silence stretched among both locals and SeeDs.

The townsfolk knew Pops for like, ever and he was a well respected man whose counsel was always sound and to take notice of. The SeeDs themselves learned to respect his words and influence especially since he was the first to speak up at their arrival a few days ago, the first to extend a helping hand and the first to offer his home as housing for the temporarily homeless SeeDs, cadets and juniors. Only after that did the rest follow in his example, allowing everyone to stay in their homes. The SeeDs owed Pops their own wellbeing and nothing could ever repay his kindness...

However...

"I know, it's more than likely their intentions are not the best..." Pops immediately added before any could interject.

Facing the facts, the Galbadian soldiers' track record weren't the best in matters of civility, respect or consideration. Not even getting started on the Sorceress... So, it wasn't much of a stretch to assume they hadn't come all the way there for tea and biscuits.

"But," He continued under the doubtful looks of the listeners, "We can't afford to make a move that will bring them all on us... Think about it!"

"If they are looking for SeeDs, starting a confrontation will only confirm your presence and they'll have an excuse to wipe us out." He elaborated, seeing in the faces of some of his listeners how his words made sense.

"They haven't attacked us yet with their long range weaponry so maybe, just maybe they aren't blindly destroying everything in sight and we have a chance to make it through this without any confrontation that would endanger the young ones."

Everyone in Balamb Town knew perfectly well that Pops Dincht was no coward. In the old days, he was a master fisherman, going out to sea despite any storm that forced any other boat to rock itself on the docks. Pops, who was also a former adventurer, sticking to high sea fishing on adventure low times, was a brave man who left the high danger activities in order to take care of his family, embarking on an even greater adventure.

For those reasons and more, the people of the town knew that his words did not come out of fear for his own safety but that of everyone else. And it was for that reason that his words quenched the fighting spirit of the people of Balamb, not that they wouldn't pick arms to defend their homes, and Pops Dincht would be standing in the front line if that was ever required, but they would not be the firsts to engage if it could be avoided.

Even the SeeDs had to see the wisdom of his had a responsibility to the people of the town that had done nothing but accepting them with open arms and sheltering them in their homes. Sure, there was also the feeling of revenge. One Garden was most likely destroyed by missiles, another Garden had been occupied by the enemy and the last Garden's fate was unknown. And the Sorceress was the one responsible for it all.

There wasn't a SeeD in that plaza who wouldn't kill her on sight... or at least try to.

But could they really risk the lives of everyone for their own personal vendetta?

"If we don't expose ourselves, they may just take a look around and leave."Pops insisted, seeing understanding in the eyes of the SeeDs.

Despite the others' doubts on it being so simple, they had to consider the middle aged man's sound seemed to be the logical thing to do instead of being led by their emotions. It made sense not to engage unless engaged upon.

The local SeeDs all looked at Patrick for a final decision. Of the SeeDs that remained in the island, the blond man had seniority among all of them. But he was stricken. There was no telling of the galbadian soldiers' intentions or plans and though the older man's words made sense, the soldiers' track record wasn't encouraging.

He looked around him, seeing his doubts and hesitations reflected in the faces surrounding him. All were torn between fighting to defend the town or just waiting it out and hoping for the best.

That wasn't very SeeD like...

There was one face Patrick was avoiding though, because his instincts told him there would be no doubt or hesitation in those bright golden brown eyes. And he was right. When he eventually brought himself to face her,Joan's expression could be read like an open book. The ferocity in her stare had nothing of fury or thirst for vengeance. She was a protector, all her instincts told her to do what was necessary to keep the people and the children safe.

Even if that meant doing nothing...

"Alright,we'll lay low... for now..." Patrick gave in.

It was a risky move, expecting good intentions from the ones who had just tried to kill them all two, three days ago... But he was forced to accept the fact that standing ready and waiting for their actions to unfold was preferable to start an all out war in the middle of a civilian city which would certainly result in a high casualty rate.

"Return the weapons to the stash." He added, giving emphasis to his decision."But be attentive, everyone... At the slightest sign of danger, prepare to fight."

As he said those words,a loud familiar hum they remembered clearly from when BalambGarden almost crashed into town, made all of them turn to the source. They looked over the harbour, seeing the vessels just about ready for docking while the Red Garden flew over their heads and onto shore.

At first the SeeDs thought they might be planning on flanking them, landing on the outskirts of town and assaulting the town from both the massive structure continuedmoving inland with no apparent intention of stopping nearby.

The red snake hovered over the fields, razing forests and scaring off the wilderness monsters, as it headed in the general direction of the place where Balamb Garden once stood.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun was already high up in the sky over the fishermen's town attached to the side of the long Horizon then did the Garden truly seem to wake up for the day ahead of it.

The FH workmenhad started earlier, resuming the repairs begun the previous day and all throughout the Garden, the difference was unmistakable. The debris, scorched or destroyed walls and floors had been thoroughly repaired and looked as good as new. The energy supplies had been restored and power returned to every corner of Garden where before were mostly focused on the major and more sensitive areas and functions.

Things were finally getting themselves back together again.

The gang met at the cafeteria for a late morning snack –Zanya having the traditional plate of hotdogs – and just take a breather from the early work. True to their word, the FH people had dismantled the stage area from the previous night's concert, and Sorphan had gotten the gang to help him out putting everything into storage.

Now they took a well deserved break, with the topic of conversation still on the late night's events.

"So... Anyone's seen the two lovebirds up yet? Must have been quite the night out..."

No one had seen either the commander or the boss that morning and they were just swelling with unanswered questions. The lift twins had told them they passed through them back to Garden at the crack of dawn and the curiosity as to what they had been doing till such an ungodly hour, and after, was just killing them.

"I still say we should check the dorms for them!" Zanya suggested for the millionth time that morning alone, but she had always been shut down by one or another.

"I agree with Inara" Quentin never thought those words would ever escaped his lips, but on this one situation, the red headed sharpshooter's mind was in the right place. "We should leave them alone."

"Yeah..." Inarareinforced.

In normal circumstances, she would be the first in line to throw the door down and demand her curiosity, which was no less than that of the others, be quenched. However, she much like the rest understood that the previous night was most probably the last bit of fun and relaxation any of them would have in a very long time. Knowing Schala as she did, Inara just wanted the brunette girl to enjoy her moment of calm before the storm.

"Besides..." Inara didn't resist adding despite her earlier words,"We may end up _interrupting_ something..."

Her statement caused a mix thoughtful reflexion and intense denial. As theyrecalled the previous night, it was true that Rianmanaged the nearly unthinkable and got Schala to go to a concert, but anything that much more... intimate... was very unlikely...

Improbable...

Impossible...

... Wasn't it...?

As they questioned their own knowledge and thoughts, Zanya remained confused. What could they possibly interrupt? Them sleeping?

Inara noticed the blonde martial artist's confusion and smiled. Once Zanya glanced her way, the sharpshooter winked, triggering in Zanya the memories of their last private conversation relating to what a man and a woman could do in the sanctity of their dorm room... The memories and imagery they created almost made her choke and lose her late breakfast before she could shove them away to inaccessible corners of her mind and oesophagus.

Her reaction only made Inara's smile widen.

"And besides..."She continued after accomplishing the morning's first goal, disturb Zanya, "We wouldn't want to wake up Schala..." She added, regaining the other's attention and putting an end to their escaping thoughts.

"She gets cranky when someone wakes her up..." Inara pointed out to all truth.

_If that girl was hard to wake up before..._Inara wondered. Back in the orphanage,Schala could either wake up at 12 in the afternoon or 5 in the morning, if it was by her own trying to wake her in any time other than her internal clock schedule,would find themselves in a neck hold or with a pillow face... and she'd be impossible to handle all day.

Now, with a gunblade resting just a metre away? There'd be heads rolling... literally...

But of course, she was the only one to remember those good old days, so when she said that, she slipped. She didn't even notice her mistake till Quentin pointed it out.

"How do you know that?" he wondered.

In the few days they had met, Inara had never been in any situation in which Schala was asleep, less alone to wake her up. So there was no way the sharpshooter could possibly know her waking habits...

Realizing her mistake, Inara bit her lower lip. She'd done it this time. Her memories ran away with her mouth and now she was in trouble. The others still didn't remember those days and that was not the way she'd have them remember.

"Well, I imagine..." She reasoned, her brain working overtime to find a plausible and believable explanation for her blunder."She doesn't look the type to like being interrupted, not even from her dreams."_Good save_, she thought.

The others reasoned and had to agree. She didn't sleep in often, but if that were the case, waking her up was a bad idea...

Zanya had learnt that the hard way...

"Yeah..." Sorphan sighed in short term defeat, "We can always try Rian's dorm?" he reasoned.

He would be less likely to come after them with a gunblade and slice them to bits for waking him up... just slightly less likely.

"Oh, leave him be..." again, Inara played the advocate, "We'll have plenty of time to corner him and pump him for information... later" she told them, a mischievous smile suddenly adorning her face making many of them wonder and kinda fear exactly how and how much would the red haired girl actually pump the raven haired young man for information.

And so everyone, some more resigned than others, finally agreed to hold in their curiosity for a little while longer and returned to their food.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"That is all, ya know?"Raijin's loud, strong voice echoed throughout the harbour all the way into town without the aid of any speaker, microphone or megaphone.

Raijin and Fujin stood on a makeshift podium constituted of piled boxes containing the dawn's spoils of fishing. They had disembarked only a few minutes ago with the soldiers lining up all around the harbour, creating a protective barrier in front of the townsfolk who didn't need to be called out for all of them to gather there to greet them.

Sure, the people were unsure as to what to expect from the Galbadian soldiers but thus far, they had only gathered there and had not made a move into town. Also of note was that not nearly close to all of the soldiers had disembarked the many vessels stationed in a perimeter surrounding the coastal town, the army certainly consisting of hundreds of thousands men while only a couple a hundreds had actually occupied the dock.

"As long as no one makes a fuss, the soldiers will look around for this girl, Ellone and that'll be that, ya know?"Rajin continued as Fujin gave one strong nod beside him.

All around his audience, several young men and women took their words to heart, truly wanting to believe them.

It was with great shock and surprise that the BalambianSeeDs saw the two senior cadets exit the leading galbadian vessel docked in the harbour. Their intentions of laying low seemed to crumble at that precise moment since they would be easily recognised by their, apparently, formerpeers. But surprisingly enough, neither one had spared them a second look till their speech began. A thread of hope ignited then with the possibility of actually resolving this seeming invasion, now confirmed searching operation, peacefully.

"Return to your homes and prepare for inspection and identification checks." One of the senior ranking soldiers told the crowd, this one resorting to the use of a megaphone to let himself be heard.

The soldiers stood in attention as the crowd began to disperse. They were being considerably calmer and even more respectful than any of them knew them to be. The galbadianSeeDs were particularly surprised, knowing closely their rudeness and lack of courtesy. The localSeeDs could only reason that it was the influence, and very likely the orders of Raijin and Fujin that kept the soldiers in line. Both cadets might be unruly on occasion, but they held Garden dearly and didn't have a personality with which they would harm innocent people.

Which made their presence there all the weirdest... Last thing they knew, the pair had helped with the evacuations and boarded the last train out of Balamb, possibly going to look for the third member of their so called "disciplinary committee", a façade that allowed the missing member to bully people around freely. Those two followed him everywhere, so it wasn't too farfetched to assume that, if they were there, so was Seifer... Somewhere...

If the blond was in any way involved with the Galbadians, that only made the invasion all the more troublesome...

These thoughts and others ran through the balambianSeeDs' minds as they returned to their borrowed homes, readying their non SeeD ids.

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"So it's true... The blue fish moves..." Edea's cold words chilled the air as she stood with her knight at the former Balamb Garden site, now a deep, wide crater.

It was impossible for there to be nothing left of the tall structure even if all of the planned missiles had been launched and every single one of them had hit their target. Reality proved that fact wrong on both accounts.

Records proved that, due to delays and power shortages, not nearly half of the number of missiles planned to be launched were indeed so. But also, missile impact craters surrounding the larger one suggested that, in addition to the reduced number, the missiles that had been sent, for the most part, had missed their target completely. Sabotage was sounding more and more plausible by the second and Sorceress and Knight could only find solace in the fact that, whoever and how many SeeDs were involved in that act of sabotage had blown up along with the rest of the missile launch facility.

"What now, my lady?" Seifer wondered aloud, temporarily stopping his supervision on the soldiers and Shinra techs that inspected the site, which included the tossed remains of what appeared to have been a red pickup truck.

He was driven by hatred towards the surviving fuelled by the sorceress' influence and close presence, made him just want to take their mobile base and hunt down every single one of them and kill them painfully, like he'd enjoyed doing so during the Galbadia Garden occupation.

However, there was a hidden part of him, a neglected feeling, hiding in the shadows of his thoughts and heart. A part fed and kept alive by the constant attention and effort of the Unknown King that struggled to keep it safe from the sorceress' knowledge and action. That part, that tiny flicker of spirit belonging to the old Seifer, the true Seifer, was the part that rejoiced with the salvation of Balamb Garden, with the survival of everyone inside it and with the inner certainty that the girl, the girl that still on occasion penetrated his thoughts despite the sorceress' control, quite literally, the girl of his dreams, the knowledge that she was safe, that was she was still out there. That knowledge, that fact alone, kept the flicker alive.

The King was sure that the girl was the answer to break free of the sorceress' control. She was the one that held the most of his heart and she was the one to be able to free the rest of it.

But not now, not yet...

At that moment, the sorceress' power over him was too strong. Her emotions oozed into him, consuming his own so he could feel nothing but her anger and annoyance over the situation that presented itself to them.

Those were truly disturbing news. Not only were many SeeDs able to flee not only Balamb but Galbadia Garden as well, now they were in possession of a mobile base equal to theirs, able to house an army willing and able to take her down. She couldn't have that. She was too close to achieving her goals to have those accursed SeeDs stand in her way. No... She needed a contingency plan.

Her eyes rose to the skies, all the way into space as her attention was suddenly drawn upwards andEdea's face played an evil tune. There was another sorceress she could use to accomplish her endgame... The reactivation of the communication tower in Dollet had allowed the ShinraTechs to pinpoint the exact location of her frozen tomb. The only thing missing was a way to get to her and bring her downto serve her devious purpose.

Edea's head turned and her deep amber gaze travelled through the plains and the seas to that submerged colossus in the Estharian coastal waters. If legends had but an ounce of truth in them,it would certainly be more than enough to do her bidding.

And bring the SeeDs an extra present that would keep them occupied while her plan unfolded.

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"Alright, there you go..." Mark let out as he forcefully sat one of the captured galbadian soldiers in a wooden chair next to a wooden desk, in the middle of a relatively wide and tall square room in the middle of the MD Level.

The whole of the underground floor had been completely remodelled, exceeding any and all expectations Instructor Brandt could ever have had when he asked the FH's engineers and crafters to build them a detention bay in the basement.

The previously empty round division that only held the large Shumi's huge pod and the lift access was now completely different. The burned out pod and the remains inside had been thoroughly disposed of and in its stead was now an elaborate structure.

In the centre of the floor, adjacent to the elevator shaft, was a set of four interrogation rooms. Wide, square and with one mirrored wall directed at the centre, where there was another room for viewing purposes, accessed to the surrounding area through corridors between the other rooms.

That set formed the interrogation area and around it was a wide, circular gap between the rooms and the detention cages, now about half of them occupied by the surrendered soldiers. The prisoners were just about a dozen, each one, due to the construction, in their own cells each with the number of beds or cots enough to hold five more, easily and spaciously. Each cell had also a closed off section with a toilet and a wall shower, with side access from within the rooms that allowed for some conditioned privacy.

That had been a demand made by the SeeDs themselves since, well... the people standing guard didn't want to be subjected to the view of the soldiers' private... privates. And there was also the fact of assuring the soldiers the bare humane conditions of captivity. They might be prisoners, but there were still humans and there are things you just don't deny another human being for fear of becoming a monster.

Prisoners or not, the soldiers were greatly impressed with their new living arrangements. To some of the lower ranks, the current accommodations were actually a step up from the ones had in the military where they were subjected to overcrowded dorms with over twenty people and shared bathrooms.

That was something of a Hilton in comparison...

And not just the living conditions, the SeeDs hadn't been forceful, hadn't been violent from the moment of their surrender. There was no abusive language and they were given three meals a day... Nopes, most soldiers weren't at all bothered with their current, and otherwise dire situation.

Mark didn't sit in the considerably more comfortable chair across the desk of the soldier – actually the same soldier to announce their surrender –who sat there trying his best not to betray his nervousness.

It sounded like a good idea at the time, their surrender considering their certain death otherwise. The sight of his fellow soldiers' piled up bodies was still the last image crossing his mind when falling asleep. It was also true the SeeDs, their so called mortal enemies, had been nothing less than good hosts, comparing to the way the galbadians would be treating them were the situation reversed...

But now, sitting across the most dangerous looking SeeD of them all – and that was saying a LOT – he couldn't stop fearing for his life.

Mark assessed the man in front of him. Younger, but not by much, the soldier's attempts at appearing calm were lost in such an experienced man.

Experience gained on precisely, making people uncomfortable and threatened in his presence.

"Let's start this, shall we? First of all, what's your name?" Mark asked him, his strong voice nullifying the polite way in which he addressed the soldier.

He moved to reach something behind him and the soldier in front almost jumped off his chair. Mark resisted a smirk as he calmly, as though he hadn't noticed the other man's alarm, placed a ragged old notebook on the desk in front of him. He saw the expression changing from alarm to surprise and then relief as the soldier realised the absence of threat in the item. Mark nodded slightly at the man's recovery, raising his hand holding a simple blue inked pen wetting the tip with his tongue before flipping a few furiously scribbled pages of his notebook, some of which were smudged with what seemed to be blood, much to the soldier's sudden horror. Half way through it, Mark finally found a clear sheet of paper and got ready to write down what he felt relevant, raising his eyes to meet the soldier's.

Once again the Instructor had to resist a smile. The soldier was so much on edge that he was sure he would break anything that he attempted to hold... he even seemed to be shaking a little. But then again, that was Mark's intention. Every single motion, calm but dripping with threat and intimidation, was calculated to the millimetre and to the tenth of a second. Even the notebook had its' reason. Sure, Mark was a traditionalist and preferred hard paper to tape recorders and computers, but the furious writing and the occasional red smear played their part as well.

After all, this was what he did, make people on edge because, you know, people are less likely to conceive or arrange an elaborate and believable lie if they're scared shitless. And Hyne, did he love his job.

The soldier swallowed dry.

"Higgins, Jerry Higgins. Sir!" He replied, the sir dropping off his tongue due to sheer nervousness.

Mark liked him immediately.

"Well then, Higgins, tell me..." He started, speaking calmly, so that the man could relax a bit, but in a strong voice that led on that was still an interrogation no matter how nice he was being, "What are the sorceress' plans?"

The man's face paled to an unnatural shade, or lack thereof. Higgins was a soldier, it was the only thing he ever wanted to be as far as he could remember. He dreamed since his young ageto serve his country, to defend it against those who wished to do its people harm. Of course, never in his wildest dreams could he foresee the events that unfolded in his military career.

Fall under a Sorceress' rule... Invading other countries... Mass murder of innocent people, or at least the attempt to do so... It was not what he had joined the army for, that's for sure...

And now, captured and locked up, waiting to be killed or tortured, but seriously hoping not to, he was asked an impossible question. What were the sorceress' plans? How was he supposed to know that? He was barely above a foot soldier, he never even saw her up close was he to know what guided the powerful witch against the SeeDs, others or whatever she was going for...? He had no idea as to her plans, let alone her intentions...

Lost in his thoughts, and silent wails, Higgins almost jumped off his seat again when the man sitting across him sighed heavily and awfully loudly. His attention fully focused on the large SeeD as this one shook his head in apparent disappointment. Higgins didn't like where that was going.

"Really, Higgins? Is this how it's going to be?" He said in his usual strong voice, making the man's eyes widen in alarm and slight confusion.

Mark's eyes narrowed in turn as he raised them to face the frightened soldier.

"Are you really gonna play hard to get with me?" Mark added, his voice raising in tone at every word and making the fear in the man sitting across to evolve into full bloom terror.

Higgins' eyes widened to an impossible size, mouth open and gapping for air as if he were a fish out of water. Playing hard to get? That was, quite literally up to five seconds ago, the last thought in his mind. He'd been in the plaza where and when most of his companions were slaughtered, so he knew perfectly well what the SeeDs were capable of. For some reason he was the one to suggest and apply the surrendering "flag". And from the moment of their capture, the SeeDs had been nothing but civil with them, he had no reason to play hard to get. True, he was an enemy soldier and they were instructed since boot camp to withstand torture and interrogations... however...

The Galbadian military he now served had nothing to do with the one in which he vowed to serve...

"No, no sir!" He suddenly shouted, even rising from his seat, "I'm not playing anything!" He emphasized, to Mark's actual surprise.

The man's fear and terror had suddenly been replaced by determination. Mark could see it in his eyes, the younger man had made a decision in his heart, a vow to himself, and if it was anything like he could read in the brown shine of his eyes, was that his loyalty to his country did not extent to the sorceress.

"But..." Higgins' determination faltered slightly.

True, he was a soldier for the Galbadian military and he had to follow the orders his superior gave him but at his heart, he could not recognize this sorceress as the ruler of the almighty Galbadian Army. She ruled by terror, not loyalty, so he didn't feel bound to her.

But there was also... nothing he could tell the SeeDs they didn't already know.

Mark waited for the soldier to sort his thoughts out. He was fairly sure of what he was going to say next and it wouldn't surprise him either.

"I don't know what her plans are..." He admitted, "She just took over and all the higher ups are following her... we had no choice but to follow orders..."

"All we know is that the entire armada is out there, scavenging through coastal towns looking for a girl called Ellone, all the while under orders to kill any SeeD in sight..."

"I'm afraid I don't know more than that..." Higgins admitted again, lowering his head in apprehension and fear of the SeeD's reaction.

He was sure the large man was expecting more than that... Certainly a detailed layout of the Sorceress' plans, specific targets and/or destinations, but he had nothing to offer. So now, he waited and despaired for the SeeD to snap, flip the table and start with the "serious interrogation" he was quite sure it would follow.

However, the loud outburst grew late and was instead replaced by a deep and not nearly as threatening sigh. Higgins lifted his head and was stunned by what he didn't see. The SeeD wasn't angry, he wasn't even frustrated, he just seemed... resigned.

"I figured as much..." Mark admitted, increasing the stunned expression in the other man's face, "It was highly doubtful that you should know much more about it. You've just confirmed our initial intel."

Higgins was at the same time relieved, because there'd be no torture involved in his near future, and a bit upset. This large SeeD in front of him made him go through all that fear and terror just to confirm his suspicions? He nearly had a heart attack... several, and it was for naught.

Of course, he didn't relay his thoughts out loud, though truth be told Mark would most likely like him better for it. Still, the sheer size of the SeeD did hold some strong intimidating factor that somehow deflated his outburst before it was made.

"C'mon, Higgins." Mark added as he got up, "I'll take you back to your cell." He said in all his harsh toned politeness.

Suddenly taken back, Higgins stood up mechanically and followed the large man out of the room.

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"Ya sure about this, Fu?" Raijin strong voice resonated through the otherwise empty lobby.

After their speech... well, Raijin's speech at least since the short albino girl barely said a word then. After the speech and as the soldiers started their search through the town for any sign of the girl Seifer and the sorceress were looking for, Commander Fujin and Captain Raijin, titles given to them by Seifer, had taken over the local Inn as the centre of operations. All the guests, mostly youngsters, had already vacated the premises by the time the galbadian soldiers set up the communication panels and remaining gear before joining in the search.

As the two of them settled in to their new positions, Raijin was fidgety as to what exactly they were doing instead of what they were supposed to be doing...

"Ya know?" He continued, "We were supposed to take care of SeeDs and Garden Staff too and the town is crawling with them, ya know?"

It was true. The moment they disembarked they saw several SeeDs and cadets among the crowd gathered by the galbadian soldiers. They were quiet and cooperating with the military instructions but he could see the mutual recognition in their eyes. He saw them and they knew they had been seen but, as they did not engage neither did Raijin blow the horn on them.

That was something discussed after Seifer had left them in the leading ship of the armada while he took the flying form of Galbadia Garden inland to determine the situation of Balamb Garden.

Raijin had struggled with the thought of having to go against his friend but Fujin had no such qualms.

She never intended to harm the innocent.

And thus, it was decided in three barked words, that _NO HARM_would come to the _TOWN_ if they could help it. Which was the reason they didn't blow the SeeDs' they didn't break them themselves, the soldiers would never need to know the town was filled to the hems with Garden personnel.

"Seifer told us to, ya know? Shouldn't we..." Raijin started again.

More than going against SeeD and Garden, going against Seifer was something that he was not comfortable with.

"NOT SEIFER!" Fujin's loud voice cut him off, his big dark brown eyes focusing on the young woman's face.

From their relative positions, her good eye was hidden behind her left bangs which she kept deliberately longer to cover her patched eye, so he couldn't read her expression since it rarely reflected on her face.

So, he waited for her to continue.

"SORCERESS." She added moments after.

Raijin frowned in thought. It was true that such an order hardly sounded like the Seifer they knew. Ever since they had been reunited, he acted strangely, said the cruellest things most of which directed at SeeD and Garden, two of the very few things he held in the highest regard... before...

It was that sorceress' knight deal that seemed to have replaced his original self. They heard and read stories when they were young about the sorceress' immense powers and equally great cruelty, and how their knights followed their every thought, their every whim.

Yeah, he understood what Fujin meant. Those words of hatred, the order to kill SeeDs and anyone remotely related to them, it hadn't come from their friend, but from the Sorceress.

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Mark stepped out of the interrogation rooms' area and into the hall leading to the cells, with Higgins following closely behind him. Though unrestrained, the galbadian soldier paced in turn and in solemn silence. After all, even if he could outrun the large, muscled man... where could he run to? They were in the basement of a base crawling with SeeDs... There was no survivable escape.

They left the corridors and once they came into view, all the other soldiers leaned against their prisons' bars to see the state his senior officer would be in. Most of them were with him in their beliefs, though there were still a few that resented their swift surrender and becoming prisoners of SeeD, the enemies of the Sorceress and the Galbadian Empire. In any case, they were all surprised to see him upright and walking straight and while most were relieved the SeeDs weren't extracting information through physical abuse, the others were appalled the soldier had surrendered information without resistance.

As Mark led Higgins to his cell and a cadet on watch duty moved in to open its door, there was one Galbadian prisoner that didn't share any of the others' reaction. The man in oily greased overalls looked more fascinated with the construction and the structure of the surrounding chamber than by the events that had just come to pass.

When the cadet approached the cells, his being just to the left, he started talking out loud, not necessarily addressing the youngster.

"This is one awesome looking room..." Roberts let out, angling his head up to see the ceiling. "These materials are exquisite, I wonder when it was made... hmm, you don't find an alloy of carbon fibre with dark iron and nickel in these proportions anywhere... I wonder what was used to bind them..." He continued to which the cadet did his best to ignore.

That particular man hadn't kept quiet for more than five straight minutes since his incarceration.

One of the FH workers still giving the finishing touches to the electronic locks systems on an outer box in the central structure's wall, smiled at the young man's attitude. He thought of what a waste it was, an obviously intelligent and technologically curious young man using his knowledge and expertise for violent purposes.

"Say, there..." The Shinra engineer/mechanic called out to the cadet nearby, "I overheard something about flying... can this thing really fly? That's really something..." He halted for a moment as if considering something. "How do you get off in flight mode? Just wondering..." He added as he noticed the slight sign of surprise that passed over his young jailer's face.

That was actually a very good question, Mark wondered as he overheard the galbadian's ranting. How would they leave the Garden while it flew? On land the structure rose a good 30 metres off the ground and there was no physical access contacting with land or anything... Thinking about it, Mark wondered how dispatching on land would be possible under the circumstances.

"Wondering what, exactily?" The FH engineer wondered, his curiosity suddenly peeked by the younger man's query.

It wasn't exactly part of their job. The FH workers were merely instructed to make the Garden operational so that the SeeDs could leave to do whatever they wanted to do. But the man's word brought up an interesting issue.

Mark straightened up while listening intently to their exchange. Certainly, and despite of him building some initial trust bond with Higgins, confiding with any galdabian agent at this point was out of the question. Some might disapprove of the sorceress' rule, but that didn't mean they were truthful about changing sides with the alleged enemies of the Galbadian Empire.

Richards looked over at the FH engineer who had, previous to that statement, done his best to ignore both his and the other soldiers' words. Of course, Richards didn't place himself in the same 'bag' as the rest of the captured galbadians, but still he could see the glint of scientific curiosity in the dark eyes of the older man.

"Well..." Richards started, his practical side assessing the scenario of the raised Garden flying through the land, "It's not like one canjust through the people or vehicles out the window with a parachute anytime they want to get off, not to mention the issues with getting them back in."

Despite everything, Mark had to concede to that one. It would be rather impractical...

"So..." The FH engineer played along, smiling slightly at the imagery the other man's words created.

It would be quite the sight...

"What did you have in mind to resolve it?" He added.

"Well..." Richards started again, "There might be one thing..." He added, letting his words linger as his thoughts wondered...

They wondered to the days he spent in the labs of Shinra's research and development department. During his short time there, he came up with the most unique ideas for gadgets and devices which could change the course of technology as they knew it. Of course, despite his genius for coming up brilliant if somewhat insane devices, most of his project suggestions were shut down by his superiors due often to the impracticability of either their construction or functions. What were the dangers of a Dark Matter inserted here and there in comparison with the magnitude of the end product?

Sadly, many didn't see it that way, though he did see some of his superiors taking credit for his projects albeit minor, and safer, modifications. And of course, he didn't keep quiet about it which was one of the reasons he was demoted to fixing combat MRVs in service of a GENS... The other reason being most likely related to a certain explosion which destroyed half the Shinra dangerous projects complex near Deling... Though his involvement was never proved.

Anyway...

"It may be possible to install a gravitational lift system somewhere with outer access." He continued once his mind reeled in back to the present, "I made a small prototype a long time ago, it should be able to semi-safely transport items or even people from high places through gravitational shifts varying in intensity..."

"Interesting..." The FH engineer commented as he processed the idea and mentally assessed its viability.

The older man remembered, from his days back at the Estharian capital, of the then development of similar technology which was projected to eventually replace the cab-train system covering almost the entire city, saving on space and operating manpower. He wasn't on that project at the time, but the power surge of the whole thing should have been massive.

"How would you create the gravity field?" Since one would be required to perform such a task.

"Well..." Richards hesitated for a moment.

The power source for the device was the problem of his early project. The only material able to create a gravitational field with enough intensity and range for the lift to be useful was the one material with more restricted access back at the lab. One could only make use of one after a ton load of paperwork, a month of waiting and assessment period – if you were lucky – and even if you got it, it was only in a temporary basis. Suffice it to say, he never finished his project. He never got his hands on what he needed and, thinking about it, it was not very likely to get it now...

"A Dark Matter should be more than enough to power the entire device, along with gravity resistant cable connections and output transformers." He said in one go, almost as if anyone could obtain such materials in the corner store, something he knew to be greatly incorrect.

"A Dark Matter, you say? That's troublesome..." The FH engineer admitted.

Even back in Esthar, that material was rare and its use highly controlled. Of his knowledge, only Odine had permission to use such volatile item in the projects sanctioned by the Sorceress herself.

Overall, it was a shame. A gravitational lift could prove to be an excellent solution for land travel

"Could that gravity lift thing really work?" Mark's sudden interjection made both men almost jump since, in amidst their avid brainstorming, neither of them even realised he had been standing there listening to every word exchanged between them.

So it's not surprising to say they took a few seconds to recover their bearings and reply to his query.

"Of course!" Richards replied.

"I don't see why not." The FH enginner complimented, "The physics behind it is sound and with the correct assembly it should work as intended."

"It's the materials that could prove difficult to acquire." He added.

Mark looked at the two of them his interview with Higgins going well, he was still hesitant into trusting the engineer and his plans. Even so, the idea of a means to dispatch people while travelling on land was extremely tempting... certainly worth exploring.

He eyed the two engineers, knowing perfectly well he would have to take it to Headmaster Cid before giving the all clear... but somehow he knew the old man wouldn't say no faced with the benefits of this gravity elevator thing...

"Well, maybe..." The large man started, drawing the attention of the two engineers that all but had lost hope in the realization of their little pet project.

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"Just stay there and show me your papers!" The Galbadian soldier ordered as he and another cornered the four inhabitants as a small squad turned the house upside down.

It had been happening all over town. The soldiers had ordered the people into their houses while they split up and conducted searches into every single home or establishment. They hadn't been violent though they had been forceful in their activities but overall, pretty well behaved in comparison to what could be expected.

Pops Dincht handed his and another wallet in addition to a few papers as Joan hugged Eddie and Rita tightly. One, to restrain the young boy who had a too sharp a tongue and might blow their cover and the other because she was shaking in fear. The three of them belonged to Garden and if that were found out, they'd be in serious trouble. And that extended to Pops, since he had sheltered and covered for them. The fake papers and identifications he had just handed out to the soldiers were more than enough reason for him to be accused of treason, incarcerated and most likely executed.

Joan could only hope that Dick, the so called shady dealer of the Training Centre that handled all of the Garden personnel forged documents and papers, had really outdone himself this time. There wereno room for errors.

The two soldiers examined the papers as the ones that went to check the upper floor came back down, reporting to their squad leader.

"Anything to report?" He asked.

"Nothing much, sir." The soldier taking point of the search party commented, "Some old weaponry and training gear. Nothing suspicious."

The ranking officer nodded as he turned to the soldiers checking the papers.

"And you? Anything to report?" He asked the men.

The two soldiers looked down at the papers once more before raising their heads to face their superior.

"No, sir." They said, causing the SeeD to resist releasing the breath she was holding, "Everything checks out."

Joan released her breath lowly as to not call attention. She vowed to take back every bad word or thought she ever said or had about Dick. And there had been plenty...

"Alright then, everything pans out." The squad leader wrapped it up, "Move out to the next one!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted as they left the house in shambles, not a concern on the mess they'd made and with obviously no intention of helping straightening it up.

Which was fine by Pops and his guests. The sooner the soldiers got the hell out of his house, the better.

After the last soldier left, the leader turned around to face the inhabitants of the house. They froze on their spots as the armoured man's sudden smile sent shivers down their spines and made Joan tighten her hold on the children to an almost choking grasp.

"Thank you, for your cooperation." The man said with a slight nod, keeping the mocking grin on his face while he turned and walked out of the house without another look or word.

Pops and the others could finally relax, releasing their breaths and the tightening of their chests. Joan also releasing her hold on the children who could finally breathe.

The little boy stepped forward as all recovered their bearings, raising a fist in the air and waving it towards the closed doors.

"And stay out!"

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Schala had been staring up at her grey ceiling for the better part of the last hour, lying on her bed half covered by her white sheets. It was little after noon and even though she was awake for a while, and she probably had to report to the headmaster as per her new position and responsibilities, she still remained lying in bed, postponing it for just a little while longer.

She was decided to take on the position and everything it implied, she just needed a moment...

And she couldn't delay any longer. She got up with slow, though not sluggish, movements and walked to the washroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, the last night's events replayed in her mind.

Of all the weird and strange things that happened in her life the past few days, that was certainly the most unexpected... Yet, the most relaxing she could remember...

Schala still wasn't sure what to think of it all and with a shake of her head, she decided this wasn't the time to start either.

Garden fell into her responsibility now, there was no time to ponder on personal matters. She had to check the situation of the repairs, find out when they would be ready for departure and decide on a destination.

As she stood under the shower, lukewarm water falling over her face and sliding down her wet skin, she thought of it. Where to go next?

"_... you might be thinking about handling it all on your own..."_ Last night came back to haunt her as Rian's words echoed in her ears...

"_... share the burden, not to try doing everything by yourself because you don't need to anymore..."_

Her companions... her friends were there for her, huh? She switched to cold water to divert her mind from her memories, not wanting to dwell more on the events and conversation that followed.

But the meaning stuck. Trust them, depend on them... Well, Quentin was an instructor and Xu had been the headmaster's right hand for years, so they were more familiar with the situation she now found herself into.

Despite her better judgement and the fact her instincts told her to forget anyone and take the decision alone, she chose to heed, at least partially, of Rian's words. Taking her more experienced companion's advice would only help her make the right choices, or at the very least, some not too wrong ones...

Finally dressed in her usual attire, Schala strapped Revolver in her belt and opened the dorm room's door, halting in her movement and intentions as someone blocked her path.

"Good afternoon." Zanya greeted, standing just beyond her threshold looking as if, either she had just arrived in the exact moment Schala opened the door; or she had been waiting there for Schala to walk out.

"Slept well last night?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The humming sound was carried by the wind and into town, warning just about everyone of the return of Galbadia Garden to the vicinity of Balamb Town. Outside the structures there were only soldiers, since the locals were still confined to their homes, and they all looked up as the massive red snake, once again, flew over the town and settled just off the harbour. Contrary to its blue counterpart, Galbadia Garden didn't submerge the ring and part of its structure into the water. Instead, it remained hovering above the agitated waters, the bright golden ring spinning evenly and causing the characteristic sound.

As the Garden settled, a green device, looking like a bug from the ground, flew off the side, getting bigger as it descended towards the harbour. Soon, its operators became visible, revealing a man in full body green overalls and a young man, hanging by the side, with blond hair and a long light grey coat.

Seifer jumped off while they were still a couple of metres off the ground, dropping steadily as the personal Hoverfoil landed nearby onlyseconds after. The blond Knight smiled as he saw the soldiers running around, going into every house and appearing to be holding their search exhaustively.

As he walked up the path leading to the Inn, ignoring the soldiers' salutes along the way, he had to admit he was a bit disappointed. It seemed, by the obvious calmness of the soldiers wandering around, that no SeeD had been found so far. All of them had managed to evacuate... pity,Seifer was looking forward for some... entertainment...

He dismissed his thoughts, somewhat, as he finally reached the Inn and the guards stationed at the entrance stepped aside, opening the double sized see through doors and saluting at his passage. Seifer ignored them all except for the pair sitting at a table with several dishes, most of them consisting of fish delicacies.

"Hey, guys." He greeted and immediately the few high ranking soldiers giving their reports were dismissed, leaving the former Disciplinary Committee alone.

"Seifer, man!" Raijin greeted, "Ya back already?" He said more than asked.

Fujin's eye focused on her blond friend, trying to assess his mood. On the outside it looked like Seifer, but his personality was completely wacked.

"Yeah." He replied with his typical smirk.

For a moment Fujin allowed herself to hope he was back to his old self...

"But, man... it was a total bust." Seifer added, causing curiosity to rise in his friends.

"Whatch'ya mean?" Raijin wondered as Seifer approached, sitting on a chair and taking a bite off the contents of one of the dishes.

"The Garden's gone." He admitted, adding confusion to their curiosity.

The drop of hope evaporated with the newfound confusion and not so small amount of fear...

"DESTROYED?"Fujin wondered while trying her best, and succeeding, in not showing the apprehension in her barked words.

Seiferlifted his gaze from his meal to look at his two friends. Raijin wasn't doing such a good job hiding his surprise, but Seifer chose to give the fact to the level of the information and not the personal ties he could still have with the facility and its people. His loyalty was with him, and no one else.

Fujin, on the other hand, gave in no indication of doubt. Her one good eye was focused entirely on him revealing nothing, even to him that could read that eye better than anyone... aside from Raijin.

"Sadly... no." He admitted, throwing a piece of sauce soaked bread onto his mouth, "Seems they somehow found a similar device that makes the Garden move..."

Raijin's sigh of relief was muffled by his yelp as Fujin kicked him in the chins. Surprising act considering she was nowhere near him 2.5 seconds before, but that still served to distract the blond knight from his relieved expression.

Seifer laughed as he usually did everytime she did that. Sometimes he figured she did it for her own personal amusement, often missing the hidden intent behind her actions.

Fujin knew that Seifer would never turn on them, even if they disagreed with his plans and intentions. It wasn't the first time that either she or Raijin would oppose his actions, pranks and attitudes, towards other people, especially the teasing and the provoking, most of which directed at a certain brunette gunblader.

Seifer's feelings for Schala, or at least the attraction and sexual tension between the two were no secret to ANYONE, less alone his two closest friends. However, the blond teen's approaches almost always ended up with a gunblade at his throat. It was amusing for the most part, but Fujin could often see the pain in her blond friend's eyes when one such encounter turned out wrong, and it pained her too...

Last time it happened was the morning of the day of the SeeD Exam, when Raijin and herstumbled upon the wounded Seifer, who smirked when questioned about it and added that he had made a similar cut on Schala's face.Despite the tone and the teasing words, it was more than visible in his face the inner regret he had for actually and likely, permanently wounding her and knowing she would never forget he had left his mark on her.

That had angered Fujin to the likes her two close friends had never seen before. Seifer liked Schala and still, he went out of his way to provoke her and this time had gone too far. Both had ended up with scars and their relationship was as distant as ever. But what really pissed off Fujin wasn't the fact they'd physically hurt each other, it was that their own unspoken or misspoken feelings constantly caused confusion and confrontations that ended up hurting them deeper than any blade could. His masochistic behaviour angered her and she never lost a chance to make that perfectly clear to him.

She never hid her thoughts on the subject, or any other, from him, but now the situation was different. Fujin highly doubted the Sorceress would take it so kindly to their hesitation and doubt and somehow, the way he was now, she couldn't be sure if Seifer would come to their aid or allowed them to burn at the stake.

"CHASE?" Fujin asked, ignoring the new confusion in Raijin's pained expression as to why he had been kicked this time around.

Seifer looked up once again, his smirk lessening slightly.

"No... for now, at least." He told them, raising from his chair, "We have no way of knowing where they're headed and pursuing without a destination would only waste our time and make us look like idiots."

His expression seemed to indicate he didn't care how it would look, he just wanted to hunt... His imposed hatred for SeeD reflected with an odd glow through his murky sea green eyes.

"No, we aren't hunting them just yet... But we are moving ahead with a new plan..." He added.

His friends looked up at him, Fujin portraying a slight frown under her bangs. She knew nothing about a new plan, apart from looking for Ellone and hunting SeeDs. Somehow, this hint of a new plan didn't sound like a good thing...

"We are leaving with the armada." He answered his friends inquiring gazes before they had a chance to ask.

"Who's we, ya know?" Raijin beat Fujin to the question, seemingly to have finally recovered from the last kick to the chins.

"My Sorceress, me and the Shinra people. We'll be taking some of the soldiers but we're leaving most of them 're staying too, with our base. Wrap up the search for Ellone and stick around for a day or two in case the Garden returns."Seifer instructed, cleaning himself up.

"And what we doin' if they do come back, ya know?" Raijin wondered aloud.

Fujin stared at their blond friend, finding a mix of twisted happiness and sick disappointment.

"Nothing." He replied,"It's not the time to engage Balamb Garden just yet... I want to reserve that pleasure to myself... However..." He added raising his eyes from whatever twisted mental image he was enjoying.

A truly disturbing smile adorned his face sending new chills down both their spines. The old Seifer would get a similar expression sometimes, and it was always something not good.

"Whether the Garden returns with you still here or not..." he continued, his words and disturbing dark tone doing nothing to reassure his friends,"You guys are to burn the town to the ground."

"WHAT?" Fujin and Raijin both couldn't hold in the scream of both astonishment and distress.

The more they listened, the more convinced they became that aliens must have kidnapped their friend and replaced him by an evil copy that stood against everything he once defended. It certainly was a more plausible scenario that accepting this was the same Seifer that struggled against everything and everyone for acknowledgement, stronger and become worthy of the title of SeeD.

"I want the SeeDs to see what happens to those who defy my Sorceress... I want them to see Balamb burn..."

.

In the inner kitchens of the Inn, a couple of soldiers manhandled the innkeeper, his wife and a tall, short blond haired young man with unmade beard, to the back wall. The three of them, the third one a new "cook", had been sneakily listening in to the conversation between the Knight and his two friends. They had managed to catch the most of the conversation, up to the point of the blond young man saying the sorceress was leaving before they got caught by a soldier patrol and thrown back into the kitchen.

Even though he didn't listen to it all, Patrick had heard enough. The sorceress and knight – whose identity came as a shock and at the same time, not so much – were leaving Balamb town. This was a golden opportunity they could not let pass. With the sorceress, soldiers and battleships gone, they could probably move in on the rest and drive them out of town, returning it to their rightful owners.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Rian still walked in a sort of daze as he stepped out of the washroom of his borrowed SeeD dorm. Even though it was far from early, the events of last night were ever so fresh in his mind and memory and he seriously doubted that would change anytime soon.

For him it had been a night like no other... Even considering Schala hadn't said much of anything after they left the concert and during the most if not all of their nightly stroll, it was still the longest time alone they'd spend together and the more relaxed he had ever seen her... And he was sure he wouldn't be seeing that anytime soon.

He got dressed in his own clothes the Garden staff had been kind enough to wash and deliver to his dorm. He found it surprising the laundry was still working even though the non-military personnel were the first wave to be evacuated, as he pointed out a couple of days ago when Zanya told him to take his clothes there. It was even more surprising to learn that SeeDs and cadets themselves ran the laundrymat. As he buttoned up his vest he smiled at the thought of some hardcoreSeeD covered in battlescars and with a hundred battles fought ironing his clothes. It was apparently rotating shift service and he couldn't stop but wonder if Schala had ever been required to work there, suddenly dreading at the image of how his clothes would end up if Zanya was on call...

Finally dressed and ready, Rian opened his door, wondering how he would be passing his day... The Garden was still docked as the repairs continued so he could wonder about the harbours. He didn't exactly have had the time the day before, with the invasion and the concert preparations and all that. Maybe one of the others could join him since he highly doubted Schala would be willing or available.

Last night had been perfect but now the fairytale was over and real life came back with a vengeance. Rian closed the door behind him and advanced into the hall. He hadn't given two steps out before two people he hadn't notice lurking in the shadows, got him one on each arm and started half dragging him in the general direction of the Quad.

"Wha-? Sorphan, Inara, what are you doing?" he demanded as the identity of the perpetrators was revealed.

"We just want to have a little chat with ya" Inara explained as they didn't ease their pace.

"Yeah, it's nothing like an interrogation or anything..." Sorphan added.

Rian narrowed his eyes as their intentions finally became clear. For someone with such monstrous persuasive skills, Sorphan really sucked at deception. The interrogation slip told Rian that was exactly what they were planning to do: interrogate him, most likely concerning the previous night's events after he and Schala walked away from the gang's concert.

He had no idea exactly what they were expecting him to tell them. Nothing happened except talking and walking...

Somehow, the raven haired young man doubted they would deem that information as sufficient... Especially considering the sort of kidnapping they were resorting to in order to find out.

The Quad was empty, apart from heavy cables that took advantage of the outdoor access in order to provide power to the FH engineers' repair activities in other sections of the Garden. The Quad itself had apparently already been done, the stage area had been completely cleaned and as for the rest of the structure, neither the battles or the sudden mobility seemed to have caused much damage, so the FH engineers had moved on to other areas still need fixing.

Inara and Sorphan only stopped near the far edge of the Quad, where earlier the ruined remains of the stage were at and where they could be left in a kind of privacy since it was hidden from view unless one would get close enough. Both SeeDs forced him to sit on a low wall with them remaining upright and cutting off any escape route he might be considering bolting through.

"Alright Rian, spill it!" Sorphan blurted out, avoiding the small talk.

Now, Sorphan was a long term adept of small talk but only when his curiosity allowed it or the target of his interrogation was a rather sensitive one, like what happened with Schala after the SeeD inauguration ball. At that time, Sorphan was kinda fearful of her reaction. Rian was less likely to snap back, shouting "that's none of your business" while walking away... But only slightly less likely.

"Spill what?" Rian played dumb since he really didn't know what to say, though he had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to hear...

"Don't play coy with me!" Sorphan's outburst surprised him immensely since it seemed oddly out of character for him to be so intrusive.

"Now, Sorphan honey, calm yourself." Inara requested with a gentle, calming voice.

Rian saw what they were playing at. The old "good cop, bad cop" routine, Rian was more than familiar with that one... With his mother being the bad cop and the good cop being just about anyone and everyone else from his Father to Nishida to any actual cop bringing him home after he was caught out after curfew... It happened a lot...

"We have no need to resort to violence." Inara continued. "I'm positive Rian will tell us absolutely everything... Whether he likes it or not.." she added, those last words spoken in such a tone, Rian's "good cop, bad cop" theory flew off the Quad's edge and did a dung dive on the deep waters below.

It seemed it was more along the lines of "bad cop, creepy and scary worse cop"...

"Oki" Sorphan agreed, leaning back but not taking the penetrating inquisitive stare off the Rian's face.

Taking the lead interrogation position, Inara leaned forward, interlacing her fingers as she asked

"What we'd like to know is... What were you and Schala up to after you bailed out on the concert..."Inara finally asked to Rian's lack of surprise.

Though he couldn't tell if they were just being nosy or protective. Something about that surprised him and greatly at that. Schala was a self appointed outcast, cold and rude seeming content in keeping people away and handling things on her own. However, despite all that, everyone around her showed curiosity, concern and even respect for her. She was a social mystery.

"I don't kno..." Rian started but Inara never let him finish

"Oh c'mon, Rian!" She let out, her curiosity reaching the physical harm limit, "We know you two only came back at dawn, the twins told us." she told him.

All throughout the night they had crossed paths with very few people so there weren't many who knew about their wanderings... Rian had forgotten about the lift twins...

"All we want is to know what you were doing all night!" she insisted, "Is that so much to ask?"

Rian was about to answer that but Sorphan cut him off before he had the chance

"Please! Pretty please!" He begged, "With extra sugar and a cherry on top!" He added with what Rian had to admit, was his best persuasive smile thus far.

And so, Rian had no other choice but to cave...

"Alright, alright!" He let out, to the pure cheerfulness of his listeners.

They really shouldn't get their hopes up... After all we just walked around all night...

"Ok, we..." He started as the two listened intently .

"No, not that way!" A shout from the access stairwells cut him off as everyone's attention was momentarily diverted.

Sneaking a peak from behind the corner, the three teens were more than surprised to see who was coming. Zanya walked ahead of a particular brunette whose late night activities the two SeeDs were trying to uncover. The blond martial artist was trying in vain to stop Schala's advances through the Quad as per her given instructions, and was failing miserably. As one of the areas already cleared by the engineers, Schala wanted to check the status of the one place Zanya was supposed to keep her away from.

"That girl is utterly useless..." Inara commented as they all hugged the wall hoping Schala wouldn't come close enough to spot them.

Alas, Schala was nothing less of thorough...

"Ok, we've seen it, all good and dandy!" Zanya pointed out rather desperately while looking around herself for signs of her accomplices, "Can we go now? Maybe a little tour of the TC? Pummel some monster workout?" she added while trying to distract her.

Failing once again as the mention of a "tour" only made her think of Rian and since she didn't want to think about him or last night, she only focused the more on checking the Quad's status, including the far end outdoor access platform.

"You can go by yourself." she replied, continuing her way to the edge as the other 3 teens flatten themselves as thin as they could against the wall... but to no avail.

Zanya stayed back and cringed as she saw Schala round the corner and abruptly stop. Surprised, the brunette gunblader could only stare at the sight of the two SeeDs standing in front of Rian while trying to keep the three of them as hidden in the wall as possible. It resulted in quite a sight.

"What are you doing?" Schala asked but never got her answer.

In what Sorphan and Inara would later label as 'best timing ever', the three chimes of the Garden's intercommunication system echoed in the Quad reaching their ears and saving them from some awkward explanations.

"Commander Leonhart, please report to the bridge. I repeat: Commander Leonhart, please report to the bridge."

The voice, easily - for some - recognised as Nida's was cut off by the three chimes signalling the end of the communicate.

Schala's assessment of the strange situation was immediately overshadowed by the announcement, and it wasn't just that she was needed on the bridge. It was more the 'Commander' part that got her attention.

_'Commander'? Whose idea was that?_ She couldn't stop wondering as the idea of being called by such a title rubbed her the wrong way. As if it wasn't enough that she had to command the SeeDsinto a battle against not only a sorceress but the galbadian army, she had to have such a pompous title to boot! No, she was not pleased. So, without a second look or word, Schala turned away from the other teens and walked towards the stairs leading to the hall, vowing to question someone about that whole Commander business...

In the quad, the three SeeDs and Rian stayed still till she fell outta sight, with the first letting out a sigh of relief since they had no idea whatsoever of how they would explain the scene. The latter, however didn't breath in relief but in slight sadness. Walking away, Schala hadn't even looked back once and Rianfound it hard to admit to himself that it hadn't stung. He found it hard to come to terms with the reality that Garden and SeeD would always come first for her...

.

Schala left the lift on the third floor, moving towards the former headmaster's office doors, now the bridge's access, which laid wide open with thick cables going through them. _The FH engineers must still be working on the control system for the Garden_, Schala reasoned as she stepped towards the small lift in the middle of the room. Only then did she notice that it was no longer a room but a hallway with two doors on the new sides walls. As she pondered on the new structure, certainly requested by the headmaster so he'd have a place to change, as he had mentioned previously, the door on the right opened revealing Xu stepping through it.

"Ah, Schala. There you are." she greeted once she saw her.

The SeeD was back in uniform and the only other sign of the previous night's activities, were the still slightly puffed hairstyle.

"Please come in. We've been expecting you." She added, stepping to the side to allow her entrance.

Realising it was a somewhat official meeting,Schala merely nodded and stepped through the threshold. On the other side, the new headmaster's office was in all like the previous, with the obvious exception of its size. Now that she took notice of it, the old office was kinda too big for the simple decor consisting of his large desk, chair, a modest bookcase and a few couches. In the old office, it gave a simple, rather empty vibe as if something was missing. Now, the room was almost cosy.

The one thing that caught most of her attention, though, was the ceiling. It was made of glass that was highly opaque by the centre, clearing up as it extended towards the periphery, where it was clearly completely see-through. Schala reasoned that the rather inventive design had been done so as to give some privacy for the occupants while allowing a wide view range for those on the bridge. The FH people really thought things through with their undertakings.

"Commander, welcome." Headmaster Cid greeted, extending his hand for her to come closer and dismiss her salute...

... Which faltered considerably at the mention of her new and unwanted title.

"It's the official title for someone in your current position." Quentin, who rose from his seated position on the couch when she entered the room, commented upon seeing her obviously disagreeable expression. "You better get used to it, you'll be hearing it a lot." He added with a smile that earned him a well deserved glare.

Well, well deserved as far as she was concerned.

The headmaster cleared his throat to disguise a chuckle at the exchange and at the same time to advance the issue to more pressing matters, that to say, the reason they had all gathered in his office for.

"Well then, back to business." He stated, sitting back on his large chair as Quentin and Xu stepped forward, the earlier amusement disappearing from their expressions.

"Sir." They saluted, receiving an approving nod and Quentin continued.

"The FH workmen informed us that the essential repairs are completed, including their adaptation of the parking lot to accommodate aquatic transportation." He reported, "They are currently removing their tools and said we will be able to depart as soon as nightfall."

"They have been kind enough to help us restock our supplies and provide proper instructions regarding to the Garden's new control system." Xucomplemented, "We currently have one able pilot, Nida, but arrangements are being made so he can teach others to pilot as well."

"That is very good." The headmaster commented and Schala silently agreed.

Seemed they had everything under control, though she shouldn't be that surprised. The three of them had been running the Garden for years, it was ridiculous to assume all those responsibilities would change just because she was appointed Commander of SeeD. Her mind revolved around Rian's words to depend and rely on them. She certainly didn't mind relying on them for faculty management issues...

"Very good new indeed." Headmaster Cid continued, "Then we are all set to depart as soon as they clear out their gear." He added, suddenly focusing particularly on Quentin, "And what is the word about the new project?"

Schala frowned in thought. She hadn't heard anything about a new project...

"Ah, yes." Quentin started with a nod, "They seem confident they can pull it off. They are starting the preparation but we need to be on land for them to make significant progresses."

"I see..." The headmaster commented

"What project?" Schala finally asked since from their words she couldn't determine what they were referring to.

The headmaster and the two senior SeeDs looked back at her. It wasn't that they forgot she was there, as they reported to the headmaster they were also reporting to her who now occupied a position of similar responsibilities as the older man. They just knew her likely reaction, so Cid opted for being the one to tell her.

"It was called to our attention that we had no feasible way of embark and disembarking while travelling on land." The headmaster said, a point Schala had to admit, she hadn't considered till that moment.

Hovering over 30 metres off the ground, getting on or off would certainly pose a challenge...

"The solution for this problem," The headmaster took in a breath before continuing, "Came from the Shinra engineer captured in the Iron Clad, a sort of gravity lift..."

"Sir!" Schala interrupted, her fear one already displayed by just about everyone else who had come in contact with this information.

To trust someone in the Galbadians' payroll was a risky game. With the Sorceress in control and her bend on destroying everything remotely connected to SeeD, how could they be sure he wouldn't turn on them?

"I am perfectly aware of your concerns, Commander." Cid continued before she could, "They have been mine and of the few others that know. His work will be carefully and closely supervised not only by SeeDs but a FH engineer that very attentively volunteered to participate and oversee in the project. He will make sure it will be directed towards its intended purpose and not to harm the Garden.

Schala shook her head slightly. Even with all that vigilance, there could always be gaps, overlooked actions... It was still a risk that...

"Commander, I have had this discussion before." Cid interrupted her thoughts as he saw from her expression she was not completely satisfied. "Quentin has reassured me that this engineer is not particularly fond of the army, Besides..."

His eyes narrowed as he reached his main point.

"I believe I don't need to tell you the importance of the realization of this project." He told her, putting her back slightly. "To be able to disembark and embark on land from a hovering base would provide an advantage on a vast number of scenarios. Even you have to admit that the benefit is well worth the level of control risk."

Schala turned her head in thought. Everything the headmaster had said had been true. Such a benefit would undoubtedly outweigh the risk of the possibility of a betrayal from the Shinra engineer. Still, the Garden was her responsibility now and this was not a decision to be taken lightly.

Schala remained silent for a full minute as her brain went in overdrive analysing the pros and cons of agreeing to this. In the end, she could only say one thing.

"That's fine." She admitted.

Cid nodded at her approval. The girl certainly had a rational mind and the pose of a Commander, though he had to admit, her choice of clothing was always quite peculiar.

"Commander Leonhart." He called out, causing the girl to focus her full attention on him.

He made a note to notice she no longer frowned at the use of her title. Either she was getting used to it or she simply decided to ignore it all together.

"Any suggestions on where we should go next?" He asked, encharging her, as she knew he would, with the selection of their destination.

Schala nodded as she recalled her thoughts on the matter. It was something on her mind since the last night ended and her official command started. She considered many possibilities: Galbadia, Timber, Dollet, Balamb, Trabia... All of them had their strong points and issues to be resolved. In the end, it was from the silly wanderings with Zanya that her answer formed. As she was dragged all over Garden, Zanya babbled... a lot, but sometimes shifted towards her concern for the state of Balamb Town.

Not only had the SeeDs been evacuated, unsure whether they had managed to leave the island or not – SeeDs who would have to be retrieved if they were going to launch an attack on a sorceress who had the support of the Galbadian Empire military forces – but there was also the matter of the town itself. Zanya's rambling concerns made Schala realise that, if the Sorceress was targeting coastal towns, undoubtedly looking for where the White SeeD ship made buff, Balamb Town was a likely target. And considering the close proximity to the Garden site, it became even more likely the sorceress and the rest of the armada would head their way.

They couldn't let them burn the city to the ground, like it was their intention to do to FH.

"We're going back..." Schala stated, "Back to Balamb town."

The other three looked at Schala intently, all surprised at her decision and at the same time not. Perhaps surprise wouldn't be the correct word for their feelings at the time. It was almost proud, confirmation that she had been indeed the correct choice for the position. Going back to Balamb, retrieve the SeeDs and check on the town and its inhabitants was, in each of their eyes, the best choice possible.

"So be it. Off to Balamb Town, we go." The headmaster commented with a large smile reflecting his proud of the little girl he helped raise into a wise and considerate young woman.

He rose from his chair and reached out to a microphone which stood at the far edge of his desk. He pulled it towards him and raised it to his face, pressing two buttons simultaneously as he got ready to give his announcement.

"May I have your attention please, this is Headmaster Cid speaking..."

.

"It is my pleasure to announce that the repairs on the Garden have finished..."

The headmaster's voice echoed throughout every corner of Balamb Garden and its immediate vicinity. On the improvised access point on the second floor balcony and on the Quad's outdoor access, the FH workmen stopped their material retrieval and raised their heads for the Garden leader's words.

"Allow me to take this opportunity to once again thank the most excellent job made by our new found friends of Fisherman's Horizon. Our dept to you can never be repaid."

The FH workers smiled and nodded at the thanks as if the middle aged man was standing in front of them. The truth was, for most of them the dept which could never be paid was on their end and not the SeeDs. They had risked their lives to save them, all they did was fix their mobile home.

"As for the Garden, we intend to depart as soon as nightfall. Do make sure all Garden personnel and possessions are within the premises by sundown."

All SeeD and cadets pressed point. While most were helping the locals moving out their gear, some making haste to handle about their businesses, either contacting any of their members that could still be in town or rushing to finish up some last minute shopping.

"Our destination," The voice in the intercom continued, "Is Balamb Town. We are going back home."

And once again, all throughout Garden there were cheers of joy and relief. On the Quad, Zanya was extactic with the news. Going back to Balamb could not happen soon enough. She had been worried sick about her father and all her friends in the town. She wished they were already there or on the way.

"Allow me to pass the word to our esteemed leader, Commander SchalaLeonhart."

The headmaster's voice reached the SeeDs and cadets with a new wave of attentiveness, with most just about picturing the scene...

"What? No!" Schala's cry of outrage was heard as if the mic wasn't quite at her but slightly afar.

Most of the listeners laughed or at the very least giggled or chuckled. All of them were familiar with their new leader's dislike of public speech... or anything public for that matter.

Rian in particular smiled meaningfully. He knew now Schala put on a facade of indifference and coldness but it were moments like this, situations where she was caught by surprise where she revealed her true self...

"Schala..."

"No! No way I'm giving a speech!"

"Cut the mic!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun was setting with a red hue as the otherwise calm Balambian coastal waters became agitated by movement. Dozens of large and small warships and vessels turned about on their scattered positions around the town's harbour and started heading out to sea in close formation surrounding the largest of the vessels.

The GENS Jupiter parted the waters and advanced stoutly, heading east in the general direction of the secluded continent of Esthar...

On the shore, avoiding getting the attention of the many galbadian soldiers still roaming the town, a hand full of young men and women looked intently to the retreating fleet. Finally their chance drew near, a chance to free the town of their unwelcomed guests...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun settled on the western waters, the last rays of light flashing on Fisherman's Horizon's solar disk panels. In between the still standing working towers to the north, the blue shape of Balamb Garden rumbled into motion and slowly moved away from the improvised docks.

Most of FH population observed from elevated catwalks of low grated fishing spots as the Garden turned and headed out into the northern ocean, its clear blue silhouette standing out in the dark blue mantle of stars...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hello campers! _

_Well, probably not campers since you kinda need your computers and an active internet connection to read this and who takes that to camping? Well, there are always those kinds... Anyway..._

_First of all, sorry for the delay... blame thesis, vacations and my cousin, cutest baby ever (just ask my Beta) who I've been helping babysitting and thus, stealing a load of time out of my day. Not that I mind that much..._

_Moving on, this chapter is mostly original and I really hope you liked it. It took a while to type due to some slightly problematic breakers, but it was otherwise fun to do, as I try to apply to most of my "work". Next chapter is gonna be fun... battle wise and more Hehehehehehehhh... sorry :P_

_Anyway, there it goes. I'll start on the next, not sure I'll be done by the end of the year but it will come... eventually..._

_Before I go, in one of the reviews I got someone pointed out the classes I include as mandatory SeeD training and even got a suggestion for one... With that in mind, I'm opening an occasional new section to my ANs._

_The __Comment Question of the Day__ is (inspired of Ray William Johnson, if you don't know who that is, check out youtube, he's hilarious... and I would totally do him...)_

"_**What Class Would You Have Being Taught in Balamb Garden as Mandatory SeeD Training?**__"_

_Celestial Rage says "_Gift wrapping_"... ok, valid I suppose... It could help them "wrap up" their enemies... lol_

_That said, lot's of love for my loyal readers and 'Read ya later!_

_Revir_

_._

_Reply to Anonymous reviews section: (yay, lots of reviews ;P)_

_To "Unknown/unnamed reviewer"_

_Actually, I must make a note. That review was actually from a "regular client" that forgot to sign in at the time. That matter has been cleared and I PM-ed said reviewer with the corresponded reply, so I need not to post it here._

_But there are more XD_

_To "Anima"_

"_Hi and thanks XD._

_I'm really happy you decided to review my story. I've also experienced those "marathon" fan fic reads in which I did nothing for two days (minus bio breaks and sleep periods) just so I could read it all... "Just one more chapter..." ;P. I'm really happy that my fic had that effect on ya XD_

_All reader/reviewer opinions are more than welcomed and Hyne knows, I've taken a fair share of ideas from the reviews themselves... really, I have..._

_As for your approached points... Heeehehehehee... My readers always touch the soft spots. It makes me smile knowing how you guys and girls have questions and curiosity of the happenings of future events. It makes me happier than I can quantify XD._

_Edea's powers is something that has been asked time and time again and I'm afraid my answer stands... I'm not telling! ;P I'm not sure how much of a surprise it will be, but nevertheless. I don't want to ruin the moment..._

_As for your other issues... let me see... Rest assured, I'm not forgetting about Bahamut, though I should make note that Eden will not be a GF in my fic. I always believed the space ship thingy to be just too big to be inside someone's head... so, though she will make an appearance, she will not be junctioning anyone anytime soon..._

_As for the limit breaks, I have been adding them even if not coming all out and naming them... For example, in the Diablos battle Sorphan uses Wall and Schala uses the Circle Divide (though I don't call it that) and I often refer to a "hidden power accessible in times of dire need". Not sure now if I've used Quentin's power yet and as Rian's limits are Angelo dependant, and Angelo is not with him, they haven't been happening since the Gerogero battle... I could add more of Zanya, but you'll have to agree that some of Zanya's and all of Inara's are hard to make stand out, considering the latter's are simply ammo changes and I already make her use different ammo on several occasions... _

_All that said, I'll see if I can be more specific in the future._

_As for the weapons, I have something already lined up... be patient with me._

_Wow, that was a long one... for a change... Thanks again for your support and lovely review. I will keep on writing so just keep on reading ;P_

_Take care and..._

_Read ya later_

_Revir"_

_Now to: jdukes14_

"_Heya!_

_Had no idea it was your birthday, happy super late birthday!_

_School sucks, that's an universal truth and I'm feeling your pain... still..._

_If you like super long chapters, this one will not disappoint... You are, as many other reader/reviewers, rooting for a Schala/Seifer pairing. I still claim I will not disclose who she will end up with in the end but to be honest, I have to make it a more balanced fight, right? It all comes down to what makes her happy, an annoying physically challenging guy or a sweet one who forces her to deal with her emotions... Saying it like that, it's a tough call... maybe :P_

_Oh, there will be plot bunnies and time turners to spare, ask my Beta, she knows... EVERYTHING, really... I do spoil her rotten... Anyway..._

_I confess, I did not even think about using that one though I seriously doubt Xu, despite her singing gift, could pull off an opera act... I'm just sayin'_

_Thanks again and stay tuned! The best is yet to come... MMUUUUAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHH!... (sorry)_

_Take care and Read ya later ***_

_Revir"_


	38. Chapter 38: Breaking the Siege

**Additional AN: **_Just wanted to say that this chapter has been finished for a while now only I've missed contact with my Beta (She's probably buried in work, so forgive her) and I was waiting for her to review it. Since it's been over a month, I decided to cut her a break and go on ahead with the publishing. Let me add that, the chappy hasn't been Beta-ed, so pardon me for the errors (more than usual, anyway...) that it may contain._

_PS: This was done on or around Christmas and I'm keeping the original ending AN, so don't find it too weird, ok?_

_Enough babbling, _

_Read and enjoy._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Final Fantasy VIII... You think that if I'd asked Sandy Claws, he would have gotten it for me?_

**Chapter 38 – Breaking the Siege**

The blaring of the alarm clock echoed in the room, silenced moments later by a tired heavy hand that nearly knocked the offensive device off the nightstand. Peering through the sheets, the drowsy figure saw the pointers signalling 5:30 and groaned loudly.

It was time to get up already when it felt like sleep lasted but 5 minutes.

Nida sat and stretched lazily, his neck muscles crackling at the rude early movement before he found the strength and will to get up and clean himself up.

It hadn't been five minutes, but only little over 4 hours since he managed to get back into his dorm, the tiredness prompting him to simply fall on top of his bed and fall instantly into a deep slumber. As the first and only truly qualified Garden pilot, Nida had spent the most of the previous night leading the colossal shape of Balamb Garden towards Balamb Town, all the while attempting to teach the basics of Garden control to a couple of cadets who could be spared to learn.

It was unreasonable to have only one pilot. It was not like he could control the thing on his own 24/7, 7 days a week. He needed rest or his own actions would be too underhanded to be of any use to Garden.

Still, the cadet left to pilot while he got a few hours sleep was a rookie and as they expected their approach to Balamb Town soon, he didn't feel completely safe leaving anyone else to handle the approach... As if Nida had years of experience over the cadets instead of just a couple more hours of practice and lessons from the FH engineers...

Shoving his ironic thoughts away as he finished getting ready, he stepped out of his dorm wearing his SeeD uniform and headed down the hall toward the lifts. He wasn't surprised to see the halls empty, since it was early and most people had stayed up late observing the passing waves or the starry sky upon their departure of Fisherman's Horizon.

Yet, he was also not surprised to see another person walking the halls. Schala – or as he should address her, Commander Leonhart – moved alongside the corridors a bit ahead of him and seeming to not have noticed his presence. She seemed, as she usually did, to have a one track mind, heading towards the parking lot for some reason.

He had overheard that the captured Shinra engineer had been developing a project along with an FH engineer who tagged along especially for it. He had also heard many were not fully happy with that arrangement, and Schala was one such person, probably heading to the parking lot to assess their work and see if there were any signs of foul play.

Her suspicious attitude played along with her coldness and apparent distrust which was as most people saw her. But Nida knew better. He knew her actions were only due to concern for the safety of others, as they often were. That protective feeling only enhanced tenfold now that she was their Commander and had the added responsibility.

He eventually reached the lift, forgetting his thoughts on the matter and refocusing on the task awaiting for him on the third floor. In all truth, he was surprised the voyage had gone so smoothly with the cadet on the "wheel", somewhat implying that anyone could pilot the Garden. That made him think he wasn't as essential as he might have believed, but he had to reason that there really wasn't much to be done while navigating in the high seas. It was only a matter of checking and adjusting the heading so they kept on course, practically anyone could do that with a few pointers. Docking or land travel would be the real tricky part, but in all truth he had no experience in those actions either.

He crossed the new hall stepping on the small lift that would raise him to the bridge. The lift itself, previously merely a step enough for one or two people tops, to travel safely had also been upgraded and turned safer, so he reached the high place without a singe. There, he found the cadet very attentively looking over the still dark horizon, occasionally looking to the side for the heading and back forward while holding the controls tightly.

Well, she certainly was committed. She was so focused on her task she didn't even notice his arrival, even with the mechanical sound of the lift.

"Morning, Carol." Nida greeted almost making the girl jump out of her skin.

She really didn't hear or feel him coming.

"Geezus, Nida..." The young woman with long, straight blue hair let out once she regained her composure, "You gave me a fright."

The SeeD smiled.

"Well, it's good to pay attention to what you're doing," He told her, "But you can't lose sight of what's around you either." He added

"Yeah, I know..." She agreed, nodding in compliance.

She was just so focused on doing a good job, she shut down all her other senses. She supposed that meant she was not doing her job all that well. SeeDs must always be alert, then again for some reason she didn't pass the SeeD field exam. She still had a lot to learn.

"It won't happen again, sir!" She replied with a salute, making the taller teen return the salute but with a frown on his face.

"Don't call me sir, it's weird..." He commented, drawing a smile from her otherwise serious expression.

They had been together in the same classes ever since both joined Garden Oh so many years ago. One calling the other "sir" just felt so wrong.

"Listen," He started again, trying to get her mind off her blunder, "Why don't you keep piloting till we get closer to land." He suggested, to which her eyes glowed with joy, "Then you can stick around for the docking or going on land, whatever the headmaster and the commander decide."

Ultimately, that decision was up to one or the other, most likely Schala. Whatever the case, it would prove to be a challenging manoeuvre and both could learn a lot from it.

"You serious?" Carol asked, feeling it almost too good to be true.

"Of course." He immediately replied.

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She cheered, jumping onto him and hugging him tightly.

Nida almost stumbled back from the suddenness of the act, recovering at a rather slow pace. As he did, he pushed her back gently while looking at the side window, attempting to hide the deep blush in his cheeks.

"Sure, no problem..." He mumbled, keeping his stare on the ocean waves as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the watery horizon.

Carol dismissed his reaction and returned to her duty, having completely abandoned the helm during her enthusiasm. They remained in silence as the planet turned and the sun finally rose above the waters, spreading his warm light as a veil over the blue seas.

Nida had forgotten how beautiful the sunrise looked from the bridge.

"Nida?" Carol called out, unable to draw him from his momentary reverie, "Nida!" Still no response...

"NIDA!" She called out higher, this time getting his full and undivided attention.

"What is it?" Nida snapped out of it and approached her position, looking around for whatever had her draw his attention.

"There, straight ahead." She indicated, pointing directly in front of them. "Is that land? Is that Balamb Island?" She asked excitedly.

Nida smiled as he saw it too. A huge land mass grew from the northern horizon with every passing second, with every passing metre the Garden advanced through the waters.

"I think so." He replied to the girl's sheer happiness.

He pulled out a pair of binoculars from a cabinet at his side, raising it to his eyes and staring ahead for a closer look. With his vision enhanced, he could clearly see the ice tipped mountains that surrounded the northern banks, glistering in the rising sunlight. Seconds later, he could identify the plains and forests covering the lands and only a few seconds after that, the sunlight bathed the coastal town.

It was without a doubt Balamb Island and that was Balamb Town. It was a relief seeing it again. However...

Nida's relief was short lived when he caught the sunlight reflecting on something else on the balambian shores. A bit off the town, raising high above the calm morning waters, was a massive red shape, easily the size or even bigger than Balamb Garden. It loomed over the town, in the raising sunlight, casting an ominous shadow over the island.

"Carol, move." Nida suddenly said, his voice devoid of the happiness and excitement shared by the other teenager.

"What? But we're not close enough to..." She tried to interject since she wanted to pilot a little while longer, but he wouldn't hear any of it.

"Now's not the time. I said move!" He repeated, slightly forcefully pushing her aside and taking the helm, increasing speed to the maximum while turning the rudder to the left.

"Nida, what are you doing?" She asked but suddenly realised the seriousness of his expression and immediately forgot his earlier rudeness. "What's going on?"

"Go call the headmaster." He told her while he reached for the intercom speaker. "Call him now!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala stepped out of the parking lot, she had to admit, slightly more relieved. Despite the early hour, when the sun was just now starting to illuminate the skies, the Parking Lot area already boiled with activity. And from what she could determine, it hadn't cooled all night.

Apparently true to their word, both the Shinra and the FH engineers had been feverishly working on the lift project all night long. Sure, much of the work could only be done on land, when the Garden was airborne, but there were lots of preparations they could get ahead of before they reached it.

With the help of several SeeDs and cadets – that were also keeping watch over their work, making sure no funny business were being made – the technicians had adapted part of the newly developed inner marina, containing some of the leftover galbadian attack vessels, and made a dike to remove the water from the lift site. that's where the engineers were now, fumbling with consoles and cables, circuitry settings and whatnot required and they were so into it they felt no trace of tiredness.

Talking to Sue, the SeeD on duty after Mark called it in, Schala learned of the obsessive behaviour of the two men. Paying no attention whatsoever to the constant presence of the SeeDs and cadets, unless they needed to move something heavy, they darted from one place to another, talking what seemed like gibberish All. The. Time.

Though mostly bored and with no idea what they were talking about most of the time, Sue detected no threat from their actions, nor did Mark that grew tired of not understanding a word exchanged between the two and had gone to bed.

All the SeeDs that entered in contact with the Shinra tech had demonstrated no safety concern on his regard. She couldn't ignore their experience so she agreed to herself not to exactly trust the man but the SeeDs' judgement of him instead.

As she walked down the hall, the three intercom chimes echoed within the empty Garden walls.

"Schala, come to the bridge. ASAP!" Nida's voice blared out.

Schala frowned bot a second before darting towards the lifts. That announcement alarmed her somewhat, not only for the hurried tone the otherwise calm and collected Nida used, but it must have been something truly urgent that he didn't even refer to her by her given title, which most of the SeeDs and personnel and just about all of the cadets picked up and used everytime they addressed her.

The elevator came with a ping and it could not go up fast enough for her raising concern. On the third floor, she hardly expected the doors to open before darting through the hall. She saw a cadet crossing a side door with the headmaster still in slippers and robe and only slowed down for a nod since she was also by the lift.

"Sir!" She greeted, for the first time EVER forgetting her salute.

"You know what this is about?" Cid asked not only the commander but the cadet as well.

"You better hurry, Nida will explain everything." Carol told them as both took the lift up to the bridge.

Finally there, the two leaders stepped out to find Nida focused on piloting the Garden, which currently involved handling two of the three long rudders, the central one controlling the speed while the side ones controlled the direction. In that moment, Nida was pushing the central one as far as it went while constantly adjusting the left rudder, turning the Garden's heading from the original route.

"What's going on?" Schala asked.

Nida didn't even shift his eyes from his actions as he slightly tilted his head towards the binoculars resting on a side desk.

"See for yourselves." He replied, his otherwise full attention focused on his actions.

Schala moved to the item in question, picking it up and raising it to her eyes.

"What am I looking at?" She asked

"Northeast." Nida replied and Schala complied.

Through the lenses, Schala could see they were rapidly approaching a large landmass.

"Balamb?" She wondered aloud as Carol, who had taken the lift back up, handed a second pair to the headmaster.

"Further east." Nida replied and again, the commander replied.

Following the island's coastline, Schala soon reached the town. Seeing it not burning was a relief, but just like with Nida earlier, this one was short lived. Her sight soon reached the red giant hovering near the harbour. The massive snake stood tall and threatening overlooking the town, almost as if it could lash at any time.

"Is that what I think it is?" The headmaster let out as he looked through the binoculars at the same thing.

Schala lowered her hands, Balamb Garden being now close enough to be able to identify the large red dot on the island's shores.

"Galbadia Garden." She let out under her breath, turning back to Nida. "We gotta turn, take us behind the cliffs on the west side of the island!" Schala instructed.

"Way ahead of ya!" Nida replied as he had been piloting to that effect ever since he caught a glimpse of the red giant, and Schala could only hope that no one in Galbadia Garden was keeping a watchful eye on the southern horizon.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The soldier in red armour stepped out of the second floor balcony that surrounded the entire middle structure of Galbadia Garden's mobile form. The platform, slightly higher than the outer structure, made for a perfect viewing watch place for spotting their surroundings.

With the army stationed inside while patrols took over the town, it was imperative to keep a close vigilance of their surroundings. With SeeDs' reputations, there was no telling when, where and how they would make their move against them.

The soldier walked by the railings to the watch point of one of his men. A few steps later, the soldier in question came into view, currently sitting on a chair provided for him during night shift. He walked closer, accidentally kicking an empty energy drink can discarded on the floor. The sound would usually alert the sitting soldier to his presence but, apart from a loud groan, his reaction was none.

The higher ranking soldier frowned and then sighed. What was the other man thinking, sleeping on the job? Their situation was as tender as it was and if any other person but him would have walked in, he would be cleaning the latrines for the rest of his time in the army...

He stepped closer, frowning at the inattentive snoring man and could only shake his head.

"Wakey, wakey..." the soldier whispered in the other man's ear, leaning in but only getting another groan in reply.

He straightened up and took a deep breath.

"Wake up, Bert! Nap time's over!" he shouted, completely startling the previously sleeping soldier.

As could be expected, the spooked soldier yelled out in surprise, losing his balance and toppling over along with the chair supporting him, both ending up sprawled on the floor.

"Whee-What? What the he'll was that for!" the soldier complained, still lying on the ground looking up at his senior officer. "And it's Bret!" he added.

"Indeed, a fine _brat_ you turned out to be." the soldier in red replied, disguising his amusement with a stern expression, "You got any idea the amount of trouble you'd be in if someone else caught you sleeping on the job?"

"Probably cleaning the latrines..." he commented, though he didn't seem very upset with the possibility.

At least no one would bother him there, interrupting his sleep and dreams... And that was such a nice dream too. Ever since he was dispatched to work the president's train convoy, which turned out to be a decoy, he had been plagued in the best possibly imaginable way, with dreams of a certain dark angel. It didn't matter that he never caught his angel, even in his dreams, and it certainly didn't matter than in a big part of them, the daring angel ended up actually killing him... Honestly? There was no other way he'd rather go...

"Well, I'm sure something worse could be arranged if that particular scenario doesn't bother you enough." the senior commented as it failed to provide the appropriate discouragement. "Seriously, Bert, you can't sleep on the job!"

"First of all, it's Bret." the man corrected... again as he got up, straightening his chair "And second... There's no one else out there coming at us from the ocean!" he added, using his free hand to signal the clear blue seas surround them which showed no visible sign of any vessel or anything else.

The other soldier frowned as he partially agreed with him.

"C'mon, do you seriously think the SeeDs would be crazy enough to come at us from the ocean?" he asked as it seemed impossible for him

"I don't know if it's possible or not, but orders are orders!" he emphasized. "If I catch you sleeping during watch again, I'll personally assign you to latrine cleaning duty!" he told him and turned to leave.

Bret grumbled, cringing at the actual thought of cleaning after a legion of soldiers, most of them lacking more in hygiene than in manners... And that was saying something.

He picked up his binoculars from the ground, which being on his lap previously had fallen down with him, and looked through them over the horizon. As expected, there was nothing in sight over the waters all the way to the western edge of the island. His attention suddenly heightened as he saw a glimpse of a reflection over the western mountains ridge. Changing the focus on his binoculars, he saw nothing else but snowed covered mountain tops. Justifying what he saw as a sunlight glare over the snow, Bret put down his binoculars and sat back on his chair.

He yawned and stretched wondering if he could still get some shut eye before his shift ended. Wondering as well if a certain dark leathered angel would visit his dreams once again and if he was really, really lucky... Maybe she'd kill him again...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We gotta go in now! Hyne knows what they're doing to the town!" Zanya's loud and rather panicky outburst screeched within the room, solely managing to increase the tension for everyone inside it.

Mark, Terry, Quentin and Xu, Inara, Sorphan, Zanya and Rian had quickly gathered by the third floor after Nida's callout for Schala. They joined her and Headmaster Cid in the only other room of the third floor, named the "planning room".

Originally thought up by Cid to be Schala's new office, it still lacked her desk containing just a large and wide conference table and about a dozen chairs, all of them pushed back as the SeeDs remained standing and leaning over a map of Balamb Island. On its surface, they planned for the next course of action, procedure imperative considering recent developments. Well, trying to plan...

"Zanya, calm down." Quentin tried to do so only succeeding in keeping her momentarily quiet, "We are trying to determine what to do next. We can't just go in there, guns blazing and put the townsfolk into even more danger." He reasoned and it seemed to work for the time being and not for the first time.

Zanya had had to be calmed down at least five times during the past ten minutes. They hadn't gotten anything done... The environment considerably calmer, the SeeDs could finally return to their preparations.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Mark had to ask as they had been constantly interrupted and hadn't been able to line nothing of the similarity of an attack plan.

"If the Galbadian army is occupying the town, we gotta get rid of them!" Sorphan let out, not falling outta love for the military ever since the bombing of Trabia Garden which fate remained unknown.

"You heard Quentin." Xu interjected, "We can't just storm in without risking everyone's lives. We have no idea what the situation is like in the town." She added.

Not knowing what they were getting into, they had no idea of the consequences of a full blown attack would have on innocent civilians. And most of them didn't want to find out.

"From what we saw back in FH, I believe we can have a pretty good idea." Inara pointed out.

Despite only coming in late and not during the first steps of the occupation, the aftermath was more than enough to infer on the military actions. Not to mention that her own handlings with the army as part of Galbadia Garden's occasional cooperation, told her volumes about ill-mannered army ways.

"And Sorceress Edea is there as well." Terry, whose real name was actually Terrance only no one called him that, added, "We don't know till what extent is her presence affecting the situation." And everyone in the room doubted it was for the best.

The sorceress was rumoured to have taken possession of Galbadia Garden as her own personal base. Of course, no one could possibly fathom at the time that it would be a mobile base. In any case, it was more than likely that she was within her forcefully obtained base.

"Openly engaging the sorceress and the army in such a heavy populated area would certainly translate into disastrous and devastating results." Xu pointed out, though no one needed the reminder.

No one could deny or ignore the risks of storming in unaware but the prominent thought surrounding the SeeDs' minds were of the inherent risks of their actions or inactions.

Rian remained quiet through all the proceedings. The situation was most and foremost a SeeD matter and a Balambian matter and Rian was neither. Even considering he had his own opinions on the issue, being an "outsider", he didn't feel right or appropriate to voice his mind. Besides, he trusted the SeeDs' judgement, namely, their recently appointed Commander.

Even as he had his doubts in the past, they all went up in smoke after FH when Schala stood against orders in order to do what was right, in order to protect the innocent. As so, he trusted her to continue doing the right thing.

His stare had not left the brunette gunblader who stood straight, apparently listening attentively to everything being discussed while keeping her own stare on the maps below. Rian was sure she was mentally analysing every feasible course of action while taking into account the other SeeDs' words.

It pleased him greatly that she seemed to have taken his words at heart and allowed to take into consideration the others' opinions and let those influence her decisions.

And indeed they were.

Schala was struggling with both the weight of being responsible for the aftermaths of her decision and the decision itself. After listening to everyone's opinions and thoughts on the matter when it came down to it, it was all up to her. She had to follow her reasoning, her mind and her gut and in that moment, the path was suddenly clear.

"That's why we must first determine the exact situation of the town." Schala spoke after a long silence and everyone quieted down to listen what she had to say.

Having all the attention focused on her, on her words, would have bothered her in the past but the situation at hand was too important to care for personal discomforts.

"A scouting team will go into town and assess the situation before any other action is taken." She elaborated, "I'll take a team in. If we find the town is in immediate danger, we'll give a signal for the Garden to approach. Hopefully, it will be enough to discourage any retaliation and prompt them to leave."

"What kind of signal we're talking about here?" Mark wondered.

"You'll know when you see it." Schala replied leaving no room for argument or follow-up questions, though it did bring a couple of smiles to some faces.

"And if the town is not in immediate danger?" Terrance asked as the scenario, though highly implausible, was still possible.

"Then we'll keep watch on the situation, maybe even use Balamb Garden as decoy to drive Galbadia Garden away from the town." Schala told them as she studied the possibilities. "Whatever it takes to prevent an all out war inside the town."

"I agree." Quentin anticipated himself to all the others who were surprised by her intuitive thought and chosen decisions.

She was proving to be wise and capable beyond her years and if anyone in that room had doubts about her aptitudes before , they had gone with the wind.

"And I'm going with you." Quentin added, again before any other could volunteer.

And all of them would without hesitation.

Schala accepted Quentin's offer with a simple nod. He was one of the better choices since he knew Balamb Town just about as good as her, or perhaps slightly better. Being familiar with their surroundings was essential for a scouting party, and with that in mind the third member of the squad became obvious enough...

"I'm going too! I have to go!" Zanya burst right after Quentin, not giving anyone the opportunity to cut in after waking up from her calm searching trance.

Zanya had managed, with a great deal of effort, to keep quiet as the other SeeDs discussed the plan to save Balamb Town... her town. She only made it because she argued with herself that an agreement would be more easily achieved if her impulsive manner allowed them to actually talk about it. It was either be quiet or risk being kicked out of the meeting. Still, it hadn't been easy...

"Zanya..." Schala started but the blonde martial artist would not surrender.

"I grew up there, I know the town inside out!" She continued shouting, ignoring the others' attempts of interrupting.

"Zanya..." Schala tried again in a stronger tone but she still refused to listen.

"I know of at least 4 different ways we can sneak inside completely undetected!" Zanya kept going, "And ways to move inside, I can get us anywhere without running into trouble..."

"Zanya!" Schala replied in tone, trying to explain.

"You need me!" Zanya blurted out in almost panic.

"I know!" Schala yelled back.

"But I... wait, what?" Zanya stumbled on her words as she heard and registered the commander's words.

Schala let out a stressed sigh, thankful for the other woman to have finally stopped and listen.

"I always intended to take you along." Schala clarified, much to Zanya's sudden embarrassment.

"Oohh..." Zanya let out, blushing and avoiding her surrounding peers' stares, most of which were fighting to hold their amusement. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

That released the held laughter of the other SeeDs, releasing instead a glare from the brunette gunblader.

"...I tried..." She let out, folding her arms under her chest, only making the tense breaking moment last for a while longer.

A little distraction to take their minds off the seriousness and risky situation would be welcomed, in controlled intensity.

"Alright." Quentin broke the laughter, putting their minds back on track. "We should get going."

_The sooner the better_, was something all the SeeDs believed best for the situation. Nodding and dismissing their salutes, all of the SeeDs started moving towards the door.

"We'll go through the second floor balcony." Schala instructed, "Diablos can take us over the ridge and then it's just a small trek towards the town."

She had mentioned her intentions to the Dark Lord during the meeting and though he wasn't particularly pleased in being used as a personal elevator, he conceded. Under the condition it was a onetime deal.

They nodded again, with Sorphan being the first to reach the door, a little bit disappointed he couldn't take part in the team, but he got that he also didn't know Balamb town all that well. He turned the knob and would be the first to step out when...

"Excuse me..."

They all turned to Rian as he called out. The senior SeeDs had almost forgotten he was there, considering he wasn't a SeeD and had kept quiet throughout the entire meeting. The raven haired young man smiled awkwardly as he detected mixed reactions from the others.

Considering his previous insistence to be involved in other SeeD activities, Xu and the headmaster couldn't stop but fear he wanted to participate in this rather sensitive mission as well. Quentin, Inara, Sorphan and Zanya also had that thought cross their minds, but the difference was they were less reluctant to putting him down. They knew he could take care of himself, to some extent, and though he wasn't a SeeD he could hold his own. Though, of course, not one of them would encourage his participation on this particular circumstances. It was a delicate situation for the SeeDs themselves to even consider taking a civilian along. Mark and Terry, well, they didn't know him well enough to have a formed opinion on the boy.

However Schala, who would normally have more reasons than the rest of them to suspect Rian's intention to get involved on the mission, was the only one not to consider it. Sure, Rian's track record on the matter wasn't all that shiny, but Schala believed that, just like she changed so had him. Rian knew more that he let on. He knew how important this was and what was at stake. She just couldn't believe he would risk something as important so she could only assume there was something else on his mind.

"What is it, Rian?" Cid asked kindly, ignoring the commander's belief.

"Well..." Rian studied how to approach the matter. "I just want to clarify... You're planning a covert scouting mission into Balamb Town..."

"Yes, that's right." Cid confirmed it, frowning as he, and the SeeDs, were at a loss to where he was going with this.

It certainly wasn't where they were expecting him to.

"Well... it's just that..." He wasn't sure exactly how to phrase it delicately.

After all, he was more than surprised that the SeeD themselves hadn't noticed it.

"Speak your mind, boy." Mark let out as he and some of the others were starting to lose interest in his hesitation.

Rian nodded, his confidence renewed by the patronizing tone used against him.

"Well, don't you think you guys kinda..." Rian started again, unsure how they'd react but suddenly pleased he noticed it over the experienced eyes of SeeD, "sorta... stand out?"

And with three simple words, the fading attention spans rapidly peaked to new highs. The SeeDs and the headmaster's stares focused completely and penetratingly on the three teens chosen to take on the infiltration mission as if only now realising the truth in the raven haired young man's words.

"I mean, it's not just a matter of wardrobe..." Rian continued, containing his enjoyment at seeing the SeeDs' at a loss for words.

The SeeDs focused on Schala's daring black leather clothes and Quentin's pristine noble blue ensemble. As SeeDs, the restriction to attire was limited to practicality, seeing as Balamb Garden was not strict to the use of uniforms. Not that wearing the SeeD uniform would be a good idea either in this particular type of mission. But it was true that, their clothes stood out even in normal circumstances, taking them for a stealth mission was a recipe for a fail.

"Or hairstyle..." He continued, hinting with his eyes towards the two blond SeeDs.

Quentin's long blond hair was as distinctive as it was, even for a girl never mention a man. As for Zanya's spiked hair, which easily added a good ten centimetres to her height, the soldiers would see her coming a mile away... pun intended...

"Or markings or even weapons..." He added, this time clearly meaning Zanya's inks and Schala's Revolver.

The tattoos were pretty distinguishable, the tribal motif quite unique and a rare sight, especially over the chest. As for the gunblade, it was quite the exceptional type of weapon. As far as anyone of them knew, it had been centuries since anyone but the two former cadets picked up learning such a craft. The peculiar looking weapon would certainly stand out in a crowd... it already did.

"But..." Rian continued, "It's not just a matter of normally standing out appearance..." he hesitated for only a second before carrying on, "I mean... We went against the Galbadian soldiers in Timber and in Deling."

Rian continued under the the SeeDs' stunned expressions which gradually turned to interest for his words.

"We were held and escaped a high security prison... I'm just saying they are bound to have our descriptions. And if so, you'd stand out like a... Bomb on a trabian snowfield..." He chose a monster related analogy to make himself clearer to the trained military minds.

Rian rested his case and calmly awaited for their reactions. The awkward silence of the SeeDs as they all thought on how was it possible they hadn't realised that themselves, was personally rewarding.

"Well now, Rian... I must say..." Cid started, not without his share of embarrassment, "Thank you for pointing out something that seemed to escape all of our notice." He added with a shy smile.

Most of the SeeDs nodded in agreement, with Sorphan and Inara giving him a discrete thumbs-up, encouraging him for taking the initiative and pointing out something that passed unnoticed by the SeeDs and would certainly have led their mission to a sad and premature end. They silently cheered because with that simple note, the other SeeDs' consideration for him grew and the acknowledgement for his opinions would never again be taken lightly.

"We owe you one." He continued, "Schala...?" He added, turning towards the commander.

Rian followed everyone's attention, coming to stare at blue-grey eyes. He had been avoiding looking directly her way for slight fear she would take his input personally and resent him for speaking up, and seeing the obvious where she could not, especially in relation to her noticeable looks. What he saw instead both surprised and relieved him-

Five days ago, Schala would probably resent him for speaking his mind and besting her in logical and tactical planning, but not this time. Instead, she was the closest to proud and thankful for his contribution as it proved to be a valuable asset for the group.

"We'll change into something less conspicuous and meet by the second floor balcony in fifteen minutes." She instructed, taking her eyes away from chocolate brown and getting her mind back on the mission at hand.

Rian, who no longer was the centre of attention, lowered his eyes. Despite his valuable take on the situation, it was all about SeeD now.

"But, Schala." Sorphan pointed out before the SeeDs left the room entirely, "There's still the matter of your gunblade."

Any piece of clothing able to conceal her weapon would certainly draw more attention than to carry it around in plain sight would. Schala frowned on the possibility of having to go into a probably and most likely hostile environment without the support and security of Revolver...

"I can fix that!" Zanya replied with a somewhat troublesome smile... as far as Schala was concerned...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The second floor was piled up with every single staff member, cadet and SeeD who could be spared from essential positions. Even considering the Garden's post evacuation reduced population, they still amounted to quite a crowd.

This was an unusual gathering for mission dispatch situations but there were particular circumstances in this case which caused it to be the centre of attentions.

And that was... wardrobe.

Indeed, all staff members, cadets and SeeDs had flocked to the second floor halls – they didn't all fit on the balcony – for the possibility of catching even a glimpse of the three notorious Balambian SeeDs whose usual attires already turned some heads, and that now were required to adopt a different and more inconspicuous style. And considering the characters' in question, everyone was bursting with untamed curiosity as to their new looks.

Nida was one of the very few who, due to their functions and responsibilities, was not helping cramp the halls. He was the eyes on top, watching over the island and Galbadia Garden's movements in case there were any developments requiring swift action. Of course, instead of fully focusing his watch on land, his binoculars would ever so often focus on the second floor balcony instead. Till now, only the headmaster, Rian, Sorphan, Inara and Mark stood there waiting, some patiently, some not so much, for the three SeeDs to arrive and depart on their mission.

Cid looked down at his pocket watch, seeing the pointers signalling the near end of the Commander's assigned 15 minutes. He had to confess to himself, as he put his watch away on his shirt pocket, that he shared the whole of Garden's curiosity in relation to the three SeeDs. They, who stood out the most among their peers, would have to go through some major makeovers and he was having a hard time imagining them blending in among the inhabitants of a serene coastal town.

A sudden uproar coming from the inside broke the headmaster's thoughts and the younger SeeDs' and Rian's conversation. Moments after, and under the eager eyes of the balcony occupants, the access door opened wide and Xu crossed through it. She was smiling at the people's enthusiasm, silently wondering if they had been any other three, would the commotion be as intense. Noticing the headmaster, she saluted while keeping the door opened as another finally managed to reach it and step through it.

All eyes widened at the not so obvious sight of the senior SeeD and instructor, Quentin Trepe new appearance. He was wearing clothes NO ONE had ever seen him wear before, so the shock had been great. He wore khaki shorts with side pockets reaching his knees and a loose, light orange t-shirt with some undetermined but common symbol over the chest and he had white and light grey sneakers on his feet. But what caught the most attention, what had caused the uproar and a certain amount of difficulty passing through the sea of people without disarraying his ensemble, was the sight of his hair... or lack thereof. Lack of sight of hair, not exactly of hair.

Apart from his fine dressing, Quentin's long, pristine golden mane was his most distinguishing feature and it was now nowhere to be seen. On his head, surprisingly fit and hiding all of his hair, apart from a couple of bangs on the front, Quentin wore a baseball cap. Not a pair of eyes that looked at him could fathom how exactly had he managed such a feat of stuffing that much hair under a simple cap, and in a way that it didn't look weird either, and there was not one among them who wouldn't give their entire savings for the chance to take that cap off.

But before anyone could comment on it, the uproar rekindled, coming loudly through the still opened access door. Whether for that reason or any other, the commotion seemed considerably more intense and louder than before. As curiosity rose in those present in the second floor balcony, the following sound quenched both their eagerness and the ruckus.

"SILENCE!"

All froze, inside and out, and later that day even Nida would swear he heard the shout all the way from the bridge. Moments later, a clearly upset Schala stepped through the opened door which Xu let close after her passing.

The shock caused by her shout was temporarily forgotten faced with the sight of her new looks. Suddenly the increased uproar was justified in all the minds that looked at her now.

Instead of her characteristic black leather, Schala was now all dressed in denim. She wore shorts reaching her mid thighs and a mid-sleeved jacket longer than her usual leather one, over a similar white tank-top which had a less pronounced neckline, and had mid leg brown leather boots. In addition to the evident dress style changes, her hair was pulled up in a high pony tail, hairstyle no one had seen her with since her fifteenth birthday. She was even wearing some thick rimmed and thin lens glasses which, alongside her remaining bangs, covered her scar almost completely. Apart from her gunblade, held securely in her hand – almost as if she had actually thought about using it on the uncontrolled crowd – she carried none of her other characteristic accessories, namely her chocker and thumb ring.

Schala released a heavy sigh and eased her hold on her weapon as she seemed to calm down from the tensed hall crossing. Still, no one in the balcony dared break her imposed silence before her. Finally settled and taking a first look at her surroundings, noticing Quentin's change in attire and to some extent, sharing the others' curiosity as how he had managed to stuff all of his hair under such a smaller cap, Schala stopped and asked.

"Where's Zanya?"

Her answer came by the resumed commotion inside the Garden. Though, perhaps with the commander's blowout still fresh in their memories, not as loud as it could be. Taking longer than her two companions, Zanya took several minutes till she eventually pushed open the access door and stepped out of the halls and into the balcony.

For the third time in the last five minutes, the people on the balcony were at a loss for describable words. Out of the three SeeDs, Zanya's change was definitely the most extraordinary. Even the SeeDs, Rian and Cid would have difficulties recognizing the blonde martial artist were they to pass past her on the street. It wasn't much the change in attire, which honestly wasn't very distinguishable, just a change from her usual top to a sweatshirt with a high neckline covering her tattoos and long pulled up sleeves, her trousers, shoes, belt and gloves remained the same. What astonished the observers the most was her hair...

Her usually high, spiked hair was now low, the most of it falling over the right side of her face as the rest flowed on her back. That and the absence of her facial piercings gave her a completely new look... She looked like a completely different person.

"What?" She wondered, seeing as everyone kept staring at her without a word...

It was starting to make her uncomfortable...

"You're late." Schala pointed out, to all truth.

It wasn't that she hadn't been as surprised as the rest of them, she just recovered faster and wanted to defuse the general stunned expressions and get on with it.

"Oh, yeah... sorry..." Zanya apologised, "It took longer to take the gel out than I thought..."

And with that everyone recovered, laughing at her comment and considering the amount of the fixating product it must have taken to get that much hair up like it usually did, no one could be really surprised.

It was only after the matter of her hair had been defused that they all seemed to notice the odd looking bag Zanya carried over her shoulder. In one word, f-ugly... as in, the most hideous thing many of them had ever seen in their entire lives... and many of them had seen a lot...

"What... is that?" Inara asked, not bothering to disguise the disgust in her voice.

Zanya looked back at what she was holding. It was made of a peculiar looking skin, kinda like sea rock, yellow and red coloured scales, sowed together in no distinguishable pattern. If the skin wasn't hideous enough, the whole bag held its shape through an outer net, also making the bag's handles.

"It's a net bag." Zanya explained as if mistaking the disgust for curiosity.

It certainly made the name justice...

Seeing the faces of the headmaster and her peers retained their inquisitive expressions, she elaborated.

"It's made from Fastitocalon tailored skin and fishing net for structure... What?" She reacted as the disgust replaced any ounce of curiosity the listeners could have shared.

Fastitocalons were something of a plague in both the beaches and the coastal waters. Not particularly dangerous, about as much as a Grat, they were rather annoying and no matter how many the SeeDs and cadets dispatched, they just kept on coming back. Suffice it to say, no one took too fondly to the idea of carrying an accessory made from the skin of one... or several.

"Hey, it may not be much to look at..." As in at all, and even Zanya knew that was quite the understatement, "but it's of pretty common use around the town." She added.

That was where the slight familiarity came from. The SeeDs suddenly remembered seeing the occasional townsfolk carrying such a thing around. They just probably blocked the memory due to sheer ugliness...

"We used to carry fish, salted meat, groceries... laundry..." She let out, causing smiles on some who could just picture her accumulating dirty laundry and taking it on the bag back to her father's house to clean. "I thought it would be a good way to hide Schala's gunblade." She finally revealed the ultimate purpose of the thing.

Schala looked hard at it. She couldn't deny it was just about the right size to conceal her conspicuously looking weapon. However, even considering her unique style, disregard for current fashion and other people's opinion... that was one ugly looking bag and she had to force herself to accept actually carrying her trusty gunblade in such a hideous container...

"Good thinking." She said despite her thoughts.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Zanya led the scout squad, hugging the external houses of Balamb Town. Apart from a few Bite Bugs and Caterchipillars, their trek into town went without incidents. Though they took cover when and wherever they could find it while approaching the town, they didn't believe they had been spotted by any galbadian lookout, since there was no alarm given.

Either the soldiers were sleeping on the job or they just couldn't fathom the possibility of a ground assault, which seemed to imply they'd focus their watchful eyes on the ocean. However, and as far as any of them could tell, they hadn't spotted Balamb Garden's approach either since they'd have definitely given chase.

What the soldiers lacked in diligence and competence, they made up in numbers and cruelty...

"This way." Zanya ushered them as she kept lead.

Schala noticed, for the first time she had to admit, the reinforced structure of the outer housings of the town. It was no wonder they needed Zanya's insider knowledge to find a way past them, the walls were practically impenetrable. All the external construction was constituted of thicker, harder walls, partially covered with armoured plating, certainly due to the active monster population on the island. There were evident scorch, dent and scratch marks all over the vertical surfaces, proof of the constant attacks and the effectiveness of their structural defences.

It was no wonder most of the towns and cities were constructed as to have only one access entrance, certainly constantly sprayed with a monster repellent as to prevent a monster incursion.

Of course, these methods of keeping monsters at bay were equally effective in keeping the SeeDs out as well since they couldn't just walk through the certainly guarded main entrance. And that was where Zanya came in.

"Found it! Over here!" She called the others, seeming to be messing with the ten centimetres window bars which fused with the metal plating around it.

"We're going in through there?" Quentin wondered, failing to see how, in spite of the martial artist's great strength, the bars could be removed.

Not to mention the reduced window size... Schala could make it through, and even Zanya with some effort, but Quentin would have to dislocate both shoulders to be able to squeeze in there and that would make him useless in any possible immediate battle situation.

"Sort of, yeah." Zanya replied with a sly smile, letting out a small victory cry immediately followed by the characteristic clings and clangs of gears moving and locks becoming unlocked. "Got it!"

She stepped back as the wall to her left suddenly opened with a screech.

"How in Hyne's name..." Quentin let out.

"Mrs. Robinson likes her dogs..." Zanya clarified, without actually enlightening them, on the situation, "And cats... lots of them... She used to let them out this way to... do their stuff."

Schala and Quentin stared back at her, their incredibility obvious in their eyes. Zanya forced the door more open so they were able to pass through, trying to be as quiet as possible with the ancient and rusty old opening.

"Many never returned, but she still always managed to have her house full of them... I really liked Fleb... was really sad when he got _lost_..." She continued absentmindedly.

Both Quentin and Schala were certain "Fleb" didn't get lost... most likely eaten by one of the monsters outside. Which posed the question...

"Is the woman sane?" Quentin voiced it out.

Considering the measures taken to make sure the town was secure against monster attacks, the woman had, quite literally, a _doggy door_ which she used to let her animals wander into hostile and deadly territory.

"Well... let's put it this way..." Zanya paused, her smile widening as she finally opened the door enough so they fitted through, "Not all her dogs are barking."

Failing to laugh at the ill considered, though quite clever putted pun, Schala passed by her and through the door, closely followed by Quentin, whose horror for the terrible fate of the animals prevented him to laugh. Zanya took the rear temporarily, frowning at the lack of reaction to her little joke and closing and locking the door once on the inside.

Inside, Schala walked carefully and silently through the mouldy scented room, reaching a poorly lighted hall and continuing towards the opposite side of the house. There seemed to be few to none people living there, but still she did her best as to not arouse any attention. She wouldn't be able to control their frightened reaction, well... not without hurting anyone since that was what she had been trained to.

Quentin followed her lead till they reached the living room with access to the exit. There, she stopped as she identified an aged woman dressed in mismatched, but otherwise fine clothing, sitting on a rocking chair while occasionally patting a very still ball of fur with large, reddened staring eyes. Neither she nor the feline seemed to have noticed their presence and as the Commander pondered on the best way to explain to the frail woman the presence of three strangers inside her home without alarming her, Zanya simply walked down the corridor and inside the room without a care in the world.

"Hello Mrs. Robinson." She greeted loudly as if the woman was hard of ear.

And she kinda was...

"What?" She replied, straightening her bottle-bottom spectacles on her small face, "Who's that?"

"It's me, Mrs. Robinson, Zanya." She identified herself.

"Who?" The old woman yelled back.

"Zanya, Zan. Pops Dincht's kid" She clarified while her companions remained hidden behind the threshold.

"Dincht's kid?" Mrs. Robinson seemed to wonder as if recalling some long forgotten fact, "That rowdy boy who came crying in here one day because his peewee was bleedin'...?"

"MRS. ROBINSON!" Zanya screeched and rushed over to cover the old woman's toothless mouth, blushing furiously.

She sincerely hoped the others hadn't heard any of that and suddenly said a silent prayer, thanking Hyne that neither Sorphan nor Inara had come on the mission because she was sure she would never hear the end of it.

So what if she panicked when she hit puberty and the first time she had her period caught her, and her father, completely by surprise and at a loss of what to do that they were forced to resort to a mentally imbalanced but oddly discrete aged neighbour. Despite raising her and teaching her everything she knew before going to Garden, her father proved lacking in the female menstrual cycles department... In retrospective, it would have been mighty weird if he did...

Though the two concealed SeeDs heard and fully understood the old woman's implications, whatever conversation followed between the two was whispered and thus, unheard by them. Not that either of them wanted to know the particulars anyway.

"Ok, Mrs. Robinson? We're just passing through." Zanya continued, now loudly.

"That's fine dear, carry on." The aged, and very likely senile... continued with a small smile. "Say hi to your mom for me." And returned to her chair rocking.

Cringing slightly, Zanya turned and signalled the others still lurking in the shadows of the hall that it was alright to come in.

"I will." She replied with a pained nod.

When she raised her head as the others joined her, all signs of sorrow were suddenly replaced by embarrassment as she remembered what was likely the last thing they heard before. Trying her hardest not to think about it and not to bring it up... EVER, she addressed them.

"She's cool with us passing through. Her door leads to the main road. My dad's house is just a few doors down on the other side but there's plenty of cover." She informed them as they crossed the room towards the door.

Schala and Quentin followed steadily, though sparing the rocking woman several glances along the way, the latter more specifically, looking at the large cat with black fur with red stripes that remained unmoving on her lap, his eyes staring back threateningly.

"What about her?" Schala wondered.

"Well... if there were few before, no dogs live there less alone bark..." Zanya commented.

The slip about her mother was more than enough evidence of that since she was the one who conducted the service at her funeral...

Reaching the door, the blonde young woman peaked through the peephole, making sure no one would be there to see them leave the house.

"What's up with that cat?" Quentin couldn't hold it any longer, the unnerving feline's glare finally getting to him.

Zanya stopped what she was doing and turned to the instructor, moving her eyes from him to the cat in the lap and back at him. He seemed almost fearsome the cat would leap from the old woman's lap and attack them if he looked away... which was ridiculous considering...

"He's stuffed." That took their eyes off the, now nullified, cat threat. "They all are." She added, signalling the room around them.

And that's when they stopped to analyse it and saw that instead of books or memorabilia, all the shelves in all the bookcases, all the coffee and dinner tables, just about every single surface in that room had one or more stuffed cat and/or dog, varying in size, shape and colour. All together, they amounted for a vast and highly disturbing collection.

"These are those who survived the daily excursions to the meadows." Zanya explained, "Snuggles there..." she continued signalling the cat on its owner's lap, "was the meanest, more ill-natured of them all... kept bringing dead Bite Bugs and the occasional Caterphipillar's left-over's from his _hunting_ trips..." She averted her eyes from _Snuggles_ for a while, "Even dead and stuffed, its eyes still carry that malevolent glow..." She added with a small shiver.

Quentin spared the cat one last glance and could only agree. That was one evil looking cat if ever he saw one. Still, all things considered, his and the other stuffings had been really, outstandingly well made. They seemed ready to pounce at any second.

Putting the disconcerting stuffed animals and sanity questions behind them, the SeeDs focused once more at the task at hand. Zanya peaked through the peephole once more to make sure no one was outside before opening the door very slowly and very little, just enough so she could fit her head through to check the street. Mrs. Robinson's house lead to the main street and she could just about see her Pops home down the street. The biggest danger would be crossing the street and nearer to her home since it had a view of the main plaza. The houses on both sides of the street had either raised or lower entrances and walls or bushes by the edges of the properties, providing more than appropriate cover.

Zanya looked up and down the street repeatedly and, satisfied no one was in sight, she opened the door a little more and snaked outside, lowering near the unkempt bushes. She peered over them, checking one more time and signalled the all clear to her companions who left the house quietly, Quentin delaying to close the door swiftly and silently. Sure they would not be seen, Zanya took the lead once more and rushed cross the street, taking refuge under the short bridge connecting the driveway to the front door of the house opposing Mrs. Robinson's. Moments after, Schala joined her as did Quentin, the three making out without any sign of galbadian soldiers.

Now on the right side, Zanya moved down the street jumping courtyards and vaulting walls. A couple houses down, she stopped as she came into view of the main square. She squinted, noticing the presence of three galbadian soldiers looking away from them, towards the harbour that could be seen by the raised platform of the plaza. Seeing as they were turned away from them, she moved more carefully over the missing two yards till her father's house, taking particular attention as to not make any sound that would get the soldiers' attention. She finally reached her house and carefully went down the stairs leading to her door, characteristically unlocked, and rushed inside, keeping it opened for her companions who followed always two steps behind her, closing the door quietly once the three of them were inside.

"Pops!" Zanya called out, not as loud as she normally would as not to be heard outside.

Quentin and Schala entered calmly, waiting for Zanya to locate her father or, worst case scenario, getting ready to engage whoever was in the house.

"Zan?" They heard the shouted reply, relaxing at the lack of alarm and warning in his voice.

Seconds later, father and daughter emerged from the backroom, hugging and walking sideways and barely managing to not topple over each other, certainly due to extensive practice.

"I'm so happy you're safe and sound!" Pops said, sparing a look to his other guests and adding a meaningful nod the brunette gunblader's way.

"Of course!" Zanya replied with a smile from ear to ear, the happiest anyone had ever seen her since she got into SeeD.

"Yeah..." pops suddenly turned dead serious, pushing his daughter back and grabbing her by the shoulders as he shot her a penetrating stare, "You didn't get into any trouble getting here, right? Didn't get into any fights with the soldiers?" He wondered with narrowed eyes fearing, knowing his daughter, there was a trail of galbadian troopers on her path.

"No, dad!" Zanya replied, standing straight and feinting hurt for her father's lack of faith, "We sneaked in through Mrs. Robinson's place." She added.

Pops pondered for a moment.

"The old bat has completely lost her marbles..." He commented.

"Indeed..." Zanya agreed.

Before any of the other SeeDs could interrupt the cheery reunion, sounds from the upper level called everyone's attention as it seemed someone else was in the house. As far as they knew, Pops Dincht lived alone and the possibility that there were galbadians in the house made them reach for their weapons.

"Pops? Everything alright?" A female voice called out from the top of the stairs.

The SeeDs relaxed as there were no women in the western nation's military, not anymore at least. Moments later, a woman with short blonde hair wearing overalls came down the stairs with some caution, stopping by the last step as she assessed the room. With all the scenarios running through her mind, that was not anywhere near even the wildest ones. In the second and a half it took her to fully register the scene, Quentin spoke first.

"Joan?" He pondered, recognising the fellow SeeD.

"Quentin?" Joan stared at him for a moment longer since, as far as she knew, he hadn't returned to the Garden with the other SeeDs in the room, before the evacuation, "Schala and Zanya?" She stared, now, at the two SeeDs she knew hadn't evacuated the Garden either.

During her stay in Balamb Town, she and the other evacuees always assumed they had been at the unexpected flying form of the Garden.

"What are you doing here?" Was her instinctive reply from her surprise.

The other SeeDs shared a look.

"It's a long story..." Schala commented.

"But, why are you here?" Quentin interjected, "According to evacuation protocols, all personnel evacuated must leave the island by train to become harder to locate from whatever threat befallens it."

Leaving the island was included to the protocols due the risk to the locals for sheltering the SeeDs in case of invasion or open conflict, like they were experiencing at the moment.

"We wanted to, but couldn't leave." Joan stated, closing the distance since there was no threat in the reunion, "The Balamb trains station was a wreck when we got there." She elaborated, "Only one train was operational and it couldn't carry all of us out. With the station damaged, there are no inbound trains so we were stuck."

"What happened?" Quentin asked, failing to catch the meaningful look shared by the other two SeeDs.

"We don't know for sure." She continued, "As far as we could tell, a train crashed straight into it, destroying the inbound platform and the stopped trains in the yard. The only one that made it was one in the garage for maintenance."

"You think..." Quentin wondered aloud, "A pre-emptive strike?"

"It's possible." Joan replied, "It was a military Galbadian engine that crashed, no casualties or carriages."

"... Zan...?" Pops called out lowly, a spark of suspicion igniting fuelled by how the girl practically jumped at her name.

The awkward look shared by his daughter and the other SeeD had not passed unnoticed by the master of the house who had seen enough of that guilty stare to get fooled by the fake innocent glances.

"Yeah...?" She wailed, cringing visibly as she too remembered the many times she got caught doing something she shouldn't...

...Which happened more often than she cared to admit.

The older man's eyes narrowed.

"Zanya." His tone became harsher to one unfamiliar to all but the young woman doing her best to try and shrink herself outta existence. "What do you know? What did you do?" He demanded, leaving no room for argument, at least none of hers.

"Well, you see... I... we..." Zanya stumbled on her words, looking back at Schala for support.

The brunette gunblader was trying her absolute best not to face palm. She returned the look with a very slight sympathetic look followed by a significant nod, a signal like some sort of permission for her to explain the situation.

Zanya swallowed dry, gathering her wits about her. Sure, they drove the train straight into the station and knew they caused a fair share of damage, but they never thought it to be as severe as to cause isolation for the people of the small island town.

"We... kinda... sorta..." She kept babbling not knowing how to say it and starting to innerve the ones waiting for her to eventually continue.

"We crashed the train." Schala stated, making the blonde girl jump out of surprise and relief as the Commander took her off the hook.

A good thing too since she'd carry it till morning...

"You did?" Even Quentin was surprised, unaware of that particular fact and finding it uncharacteristic of Schala to destroy public property.

"We had to disable the entire brake system so we wouldn't be stopped in Timber." Schala explained, a fact actually provided by Rian who was more familiar with the railroad's operating systems, especially how to diverge from it. "We weren't able to get it back online and lost control of the rig..." She admitted, "The ascension to the island slowed us down some but not enough to avoid the _light_ collision."

Joan and Pops frowned slightly as they had personally seen the end result of the... _light_ collision. If that's what she considered a light collision, none of them wanted to be around for one she's consider hard...

"Yeah!" Zanya restarted as she finally found her voice, "We were rushing to warn the Garden about the missiles! We didn't realise the damage had been so great." She added.

In all truth, they had been more preoccupied with the Garden and incoming missiles and barely took notice of anything else.

"Well, looking at it like that, I believe it can be pardoned." Pops commented, nodding slightly.

What's a broken train station in comparison with a missile attack?

"As long as no one got hurt, I guess so..." Joan pondered, "The locals were kind enough to share their homes with us till the situation is resolved."

All nodded in understanding and thankful for the Balamb residents' kind hospitality, so different from the FH locals' initial one.

"Well, the train station mystery resolved..." Pops started again, "I don't suppose you could shed a light on what happened to my red pickup truck, huh?" He wondered, immediately catching Zanya's sudden seriousness masking nervousness which, by itself, confirmed his recent suspicions...

"Well..." Zanya stumbled once more, looking again at Schala for renewed support.

However, this time she found very little. For the train incident, Schala was responsible for since it was her decision to disable the brakes. For that, she felt compelled to be the one to say it there. As for the truck-jacking, that was all on Zanya. Schala had every intention of running the distance or waking up the guys in the rent-a-car joint, but when they crossed the plaza and Zanya saw her father's truck she insisted they could take it without saying anything, that they would resolve it later. That later being now and Zanya gawping like a fish outta water.

Catching the gist of her thoughts from her stony expression, Zanya quickly realised she'd get no support from her this time and thus resigned herself to the full justice of parental law.

"We kinda... took it." She blurted out, lowering her head in shame, "We were in such a hurry, I couldn't think of a fastest way till I saw the red pickup parked outside... I'm sorry." She babbled but still concluded properly.

"I see..." Pops replied, not too moved by her plea and obvious remorse as to let her go without punishment or a hard eared lecture, but he was willing to postpone both onto a less intense setting. "So, what did you do with it? Where is it?" He asked.

"..." Zanya remained frozen and if possible, whiter.

Even Schala felt a little bit bad for her since those would not be good news.

"Zan...?" Pops frowned, suddenly feeling somewhat foreboding...

"..." Zanya kept quiet, hoping to Hyne her father would let it go but knowing that not even the almighty God could manage that.

"Zanya... Where's my truck?" He asked again, straining slightly to keep his tone low and not angry and pushing her to tell the truth, whatever and no matter how bad it could be.

"Well..." Zanya started and this time Schala looked at her with some sympathy, "We kinda... sorta..." She raised her head slightly, "...left it there..."

Silence stretched throughout the room as the dire fate of the red pickup truck became obvious to everyone. They had badly parked the car at the Garden's outer gates... then the Garden rose above ground, sending a powerful dust shockwave around it... and then the missiles hit... If anything was left, it was bound not to be that much.

"I see..." Came Pops's very calm response.

"I'm sorry..." Zanya said, lowering her head again, her hair creating a curtain and hiding her shame.

There was another long silence as all expected something of a blowout from the owner of the now deceased truck-

"Well..." Everyone focused on him as his voice came as calm and collected as before, "I guess you'll be using that overpaid SeeD pay check of yours to bet me a new pickup truck now, won't you?" He said more than asked.

"Yes, sir." She replied, her head down but her spirits slightly higher from her father's apparent forgiveness...

Though she was sure it would cost her the entire amount in her bank savings, not to mention it wouldn't save her form getting an earful in such a time he saw fit.

"Well, now that that is settled." Quentin interjected the sweet/awkward moment so as to focus the conversation onto more pressing matters. "What happened here, Joan, with the soldiers and everything?"

"Oh, yeah!" Joan started, drawn just like everyone else, to the situation at hand. "We settled in town, blending in and helping out while getting news that the sorceress was taking over Galbadia Garden."

"How did you know that?" Quentin asked.

"There had been some rumours flying around when she surfaced but they went unconfirmed till we heard it first hand from a galbadian SeeD squad that arrived on the night before the Garden evacuation." She answered, "They were going to go to Garden in the morning when all hell broke loose. We ended up meeting amidst the confusion of not boarding the last train."

"We all decided to lay low and wait for more intel or for you guys to come back." She added with a small smile.

"When did the soldiers come?" Schala asked this time, having some concern as to their intentions.

"Yesterday at early morning." Joan told them, "Galbadia Garden and about half the armada."

"What did they do? What's going on around town?" Zanya stressed, quieting down under her father's silencing stare which clearly meant for her to just shut up and let the other blonde SeeD tell what happened.

"Galbadia Garden flew inland towards the Balamb Garden site while the armada docked." Joan continued, this time without further interruptions. "The soldiers gathered by the harbour and told us they were looking for a girl called Ellone, and if we cooperated and not resisted, no harm would come for the people." She paused for a moment, allowing for some reactions.

"That's rather unusual..." Quentin commented.

"Yeah, totally off-character!" Zanya added, with Schala silently agreeing with both.

The fact they were searching for Ellone was no surprise considering the events in FH, but the soldiers' mannerisms this time were completely opposite.

"Well, not that much if you take into consideration whose orders they're under..." Joan replied, regaining their attentions away from their thoughts.

As they locked her inquiring gazes on her, she continued.

"Raijin and Fujin were at the head of the invading force." She told them, gaining widened eyes and opened mouths from her statement, "They seem to be the ones keeping the soldiers in line."

"Did they see you?" Quentin asked, obviously referring not specifically to her but to the SeeDs and cadets hiding in the town.

Their encounter in FH told them not only of the soldiers' cruelty and search for Ellone, but that they were also hunting SeeDs and in that particular moment, Balamb Town was full of potential targets.

"I can't see how they couldn't. We were standing right there." She admitted, "But they didn't expose us." She added, "They made it pretty clear they wouldn't if we kept low and allow the search to take place without resistance."

They other SeeDs became locked in thought, processing the information. In a way, the two cadets' presence had prevented a direr outcome of the soldiers' incursion on the town, and the confrontations that would certainly ensue. The Sorceress' hatred for SeeD was common knowledge and even publicised. Anyone else recognizing them would have led to an open conflict which would certainly have resulted in several casualties among the civilians.

Their presence there was also not that surprising. Schala knew the pair would go looking for Seifer the second they were out of Garden, they had confessed that intention before in Galbadia Garden, as she knew they would follow his lead and commands. What she had to admit she wasn't fully expecting was for them to go against his orders. Recalling just his words in the Desert Prison, Schala was certain Seifer would have given the order to hunt and kill any SeeD, cadet or remotely related Garden personnel they'd cross paths with. The fact they obviously didn't gave her hope they suspected, as she had, of Seifer's compromised judgement. Believing that, they could probably be swayed to leave the town without any major conflict or carrying out other orders... as she was sure the so called _Knight_ would have also ordered them to burn down the town, just like FH.

Quentin was wondering just about the same when two details came to his attention.

"You said Galbadia Garden arrived with an armada escort?" He voiced out his questions.

"Yes." Joan replied, "They left last night, but the soldiers and the garden stayed behind." She explained.

Quentin frowned, wondering about the reasons behind that departure. Also, the second thing that called for his attention was the fact they hadn't burned down the town yet. Not that he was complaining but, one day would be more than enough to turn the town upside down looking for someone, not to mention that back in FH, the soldiers seemed eager to arrive, search and destroy and move on to the next one.

Something else was up.

"Just the armada?" He wondered and Joan nodded affirmatively in reply.

"If it's just a few soldiers maybe we can take back the town!" Zanya suddenly said, "With the armada here it'd be too dangerous because of the cannons, but if it's only soldiers?"

"And the Sorceress." Schala interjected, cutting off not only Zanya's words but her eagerness to a swift resolve.

A confrontation with the sorceress there would be devastating for the town, not even mentioning the amount of casualties, military, SeeD and civilian that could occur.

"The Sorceress' gone." The statement caught everyone by surprise and alarm causing the SeeDs to turn to its origin, weapons at the ready.

Under the threshold stoop the tall male blond SeeD and one of the galbadian SeeDs, the one with brown hair and tanned skin that only Joan and Quentin recognised.

"Patrick?" Quentin wondered before focusing on the foreign SeeD, "And is that...Craig?"

"Quentin Trepe! It's mighty nice to see you again." The galbadian greeted with a grin, "It's been a while."

"Can we save the warm reunion for later?" Joan interrupted, feeling some more time wasting moments approaching and too intrigued by the previous statement to lose any more time, "What do you mean the Sorceress is gone?" She added, facing Patrick.

"I overheard... the Knight talking with Raijin and Fujin about it last evening before the armada left." He started explaining, refusing to address him by a name he could only relate with traitor, "The Knight and the Sorceress left with the warships leaving those two in charge."

The others registered the information with apprehension and a great deal of optimism.

"But, why are they still here?" Quentin couldn't shake that thought out of his mind in spite of the good news.

"I don't know." Patrick admitted, "We were caught eavesdropping and taken back to the kitchen before I could hear the rest of it. But it doesn't matter." He added, turning to the rest of them, pleased there were more weapons to join the fight, "With the sorceress and the gunships gone, we can take back the town."

"And Galbadia Garden!" Craig added.

They were tired of sitting around and doing nothing while the soldiers wandered around unpunished.

"I'm with ya!" Zanya let out, "We gotta kick their butts before they destroy the town!"

"Destroy the town?" Joan almost screeched.

"It was their intention in Fisherman's Horizon after the search for Ellone ended up in nothing, and Hyne knows how many coastal towns before that." Quentin elaborated, though not entirely convinced an all out confrontation with the leftover, but still numerous soldiers, was the safest course of action.

"All the more reason for us to act as soon as possible." Patrick insisted, receiving agreeing nods from the Galbadian SeeD and the blonde martial artist.

"I want to talk with Fujin and Raijin first."

All stopped and turned to Schala who had remained silent during their whole discussion and revelations. The fact that neither Seifer nor the sorceress were there reinforced her resolve that the two former cadets could be persuaded to leave the town without starting an all-out war.

However, her sudden intervention and words caught the others by surprise.

"Why?" Patrick wondered, still slightly stunned.

He believed that was the first time he ever heard her talk...

Schala looked back, pausing for a moment before replying.

"I believe they can be convinced to leave." She stated.

Quentin smiled slightly at her taking point and the initiative on a matter he had also been considering.

"And what makes you think they'd just leave?" Joan wondered, driven mostly by surprise and curiosity.

Schala paused again, focusing her eyes on the blonde SeeD before resuming.

"They could have blown your cover, but they didn't." She stated, shifting her eyes towards the other SeeDs, "They didn't need to refrain the soldiers from abusing the town's people, but they did." She spared a glance at Zanya's father, "They are both conscious enough not to go against Garden or the town directly, they are reasonable enough to leave without carrying out the orders they were given. I'm sure they want as much harm to come to the locals as we do."

"They're following the Sorceress..." Craig pointed out.

"They're not following the Sorceress." Schala stated instantly.

The room fell silent once more as the listeners became speechless. They were leading the Galbadian incursion on their town and the army was under the Sorceress' power. If not following the sorceress, just what were they doing there? This was the question in the SeeDs' inquisitive stares.

"They're following Seifer." Schala concluded her statement, answering their unspoken query.

"What's the difference?" Patrick asked rhetorically.

None of the SeeDs could really tell at that point. They heard from reports referring to the Sorceress' announcement and parade, most brought by the Galbadian SeeDs, that Seifer was the Sorceress' Knight and, as such, had declared war on Garden and SeeD. As far as any and all of them were concerned, he was a traitor and there was no difference between them.

Schala pondered on how to phrase her next words. It was something hard for her to admit outloud for some fear it would sound utterly foolish and desperate.

"Seifer is not himself." She started carefully.

The SeeDs' surprise could only be topped by their disbelief. That didn't discourage her.

"He might be callous and irresponsible and reckless and an absolute asshole..." The listeners became unsure exactly whose point she was defending, "But all he ever talked about was becoming a SeeD. It's doubtful he would throw it all away willingly after he finally got it."

Though she condemned his actions, she didn't think she ever believed he was acting of his own volition. That, she told herself repeatedly, was the reason why couldn't bring herself to kill him on the float, and why she wouldn't pass a death sentence on him just yet.

Her words, though sprinkled with a certain degree of sense, were not enough to sway the disbelief and distrust the SeeDs felt. All SeeDs but Quentin who, having been his instructor, could vouch for everything Schala had just said. Not to mention the fact she said all those things considering her usual _"Keep to oneself"_ persona, seemed to emphasize just how strongly she felt about it.

"He was either brainwashed or broken mentally, I don't know..." She continued, keeping her determined stare on her listeners, "But if Fujin and Raijin didn't obey him, it's because they saw it too."

"That is some wishful thinking, but it doesn't change anything." Patrick recovered from the shock and insisted, "The fact they didn't follow his orders yet doesn't mean they won't and we just can't take that chance."

"But..." Schala tried to cut in.

"But nothing," Patrick interrupted her, "This is not your call!"

Silence and tension stretched between them as the others' simply observed the battle of wills. No one had ever seen Schala speaking so passionately, which was surprising in itself even if you didn't consider the topic of discussion. It was also uncommon for her to attack, verbally or otherwise, an older and thus, senior SeeD.

"Well, actually..." Quentin started, seeming to be the only one not stunned by the situation, even sporting a small knowing smile he made no attempt to hide, "It is."

"What is?" Patrick asked, suddenly not happy to see that smile on the blond SeeD's face.

"Her call." He replied, the few words doing nothing to dispel the confusion, "Schala has been appointed Commander of SeeD." he elaborated, his smile widening as his listeners' eyes did so as well, the meaning of his words sinking in, "She's to be responsible for all major military decisions. I'm pretty sure this one qualifies as such."

The unexpected surprises revealed in Pops Dincht's living room just kept on coming.

"Who decided that?" Patrick demanded in renewed disbelief.

"Headmaster Cid." Quentin calmly replied, giving them time to properly process the new information.

"Seriously?" Patrick let out, though not actually expecting an answer.

There was no way the man would play with something as important as that. But, seriously now... _What is he thinking?_ Was the only thing Patrick could think about. _She's a newbie SeeD and he put her in charge of... everything? His birds must have really flown the coop..._

"So, Schala..." Quentin continued, turning to face her who seemed not at all phased by the hectic exchange and obvious disapproval of her promotion.

True that at first she thought the same she suspected was going on the other SeeDs' minds. But she had come to terms with it and decided to take the responsibility and do her absolute best to succeed and not disappoint, or endanger more than necessary, her fellow SeeDs.

"What say you?" Quentin asked.

"We're going to talk with Fujin and Raijin." She spoke with unwavering determination, "Convince them to leave peacefully."

"What if they don't agree to leave peacefully?" Craig asked as Patrick seemed to be still a bit out of it.

"If they engage us..." She continued, focusing first on the galbadian SeeD, but shifting to the remaining SeeDs, "...we'll fight back. The fight should be just between us, on our location and it's bound to attract the soldiers' attention." She added, focusing now on Quentin as he caught her line of thought.

"We'll serve as a distraction." He completed, "With their eyes on us, you guys can flank them, cutting their access to the town and the people."

"And we'll beat them all up till they leave with their tails between their legs, YEAH!" Zanya cheered, knocking her knuckles together in a display of intention to crack some skulls.

"Why let them leave at all?" Craig pointed out, after seemingly approving of the new attack plan, "Like that, we can take back Galbadia Garden."

The Balambian SeeDs shook their heads but it was Patrick who explained.

"No." He said, "They are supposed to rendezvous with the armada after they leave here. If they fail to show up, the sorceress will know something happened." He paused for a moment to make his point come across clearly, "They'll come back and this time, they'll use the cannons to shoot down the town from the sea. Balamb will have no chance then. We gotta let them leave."

Seemed like Patrick had finally given in, admitting to himself, and not without a fair share of personal surprise, that Schala's suggested plan was sound and apparently a good course of action as to ensure the safety of the locals. He wasn't fully convinced, yet, she was prepared and able to command the SeeD force, but he was starting to see the reason Cid thought she might.

"Then, it's settled." Quentin confirmed.

"Raijin and Fujin are staying in the Inn." Patrick provided, "You're gonna have to sneak inside to pass by the guards." He added.

"No need." Schala said, "We'll just say we have information about Ellone and will only talk to the ones in charge. That should get us through the doors."

"Good thinking." Patrick meant it, "I'll go let the others know, tell them to get ready to act when needed.

Schala nodded as did the others, confirming their understanding of their part on the play.

"Before you go..." Pops suddenly said, having kept quiet for so long that the SeeDs almost forgot he was there.

He couldn't stop but admire the young woman's strength, conviction, determined and sound planning mind while they decided on his town's fate. He couldn't think of a better person for his daughter to look up to.

"How about some breakfast?" He offered, laughing at Zanya's sound cheers.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Zanya walked down the street with Schala and Quentin by her sides. They moved calmly but steadily towards the Inn, passing through several soldiers who, maybe apart from Schala's frame, didn't spare them a second look. Schala was both surprised and pleased Zanya's hideous looking bag was as she had stated, a common sight around the town, and thus nothing the soldiers would look upon with suspicion.

_That or it was so damn ugly the soldiers don't want to get near it less alone search it._

"There's the Inn." Zanya whispered, signalling the two storeys building encased in pristine blue glass.

It was kinda hard to miss, even if it wasn't the only edifice in the street leading down to the harbour. Its location, height and shiny exterior made it a landmark able to be seen from a great distance.

Schala frowned as she focused on the two only soldiers guarding the entrance. They were standing in attention in front of the double glass doors, taking notice of the teens as they approached their location.

"Move along, kids." The first soldier spoke out at them, "This place is off limits."

"Yeah, get outta here ya bother us!" The second soldier, not so nicely, added.

The SeeDs exchanged a glance, having dropped their usual straight, ready stance to one somewhat more casual and nonthreatening, a not so simple a task for some.

"We, ahm..." Schala started, her voice purposely failing as she put on a nervous act, accompanied with the appropriate fidgeting body language, "We'd like to talk with the commander and, uhmm... the captain...?" She added, seemingly hesitant.

It was such a good act, Zanya almost blew their joint performance with her surprised reaction. Quentin, on the other hand, had to struggle to stop himself from smiling at the excellence of her routine. Schala truly excelled at deception and, despite of common beliefs brought upon her by her cold exterior, she was truly a great observant and very perceptive of human nature and behaviour. It was the only way the Schala they all knew and respected could ever pull a shy and insecure act.

Perhaps, her cold, rude and unsocial persona was the true proof of her excelling deception skills...

As for the mention of "commander" and "captain", Patrick told them those were the titles Fujin and Raijin went with, respectively, among the galbadian military.

"Oh, would ya now?" The second soldier said with a patronizing and somewhat poisonous tone.

He either disliked the two youths who were suddenly his superiors, or he disliked them for bothering them... Or, still, he disliked the townsfolk for being... townsfolk... Maybe he just disliked everyone, either way, he seemed displeased and would probably play hard to get through. Still, maybe they could push his buttons to their advantage.

"And why is that?" he added.

"Well, we..." Schala shied away, apparently intimidated, and Quentin stepped in on cue.

"We know something..." He started, playing an equally unrecognizable boyish tone he hadn't used since his early teens, "Something your bosses would want to know." He childishly added as if toying with authority, the way teenagers often did.

"And what is that?" The first soldier stepped in before his partner lost his patience completely and harmed the foolish kids.

It was unlikely the punks had anything of value to offer anyways.

"It's Ellone!" Zanya blurted out, playing the rash and reckless kid... it wasn't that much of a stretch in her case... "We know stuff about Ellone and we wanna tell!" She added.

The outburst caught the soldiers' attention but only momentarily. It was unlikely that those kids knew anything. After all, no trace of the girl was found on the town, they were probably just some stupid kids looking for attention.

"There's a reward, right?" Quentin added to the part, "For information on Ellone?"

So it was money they were after...

"Get tha hell outta here, ya brats!" The second soldier shooed them away, "Ya know nothin'

"Do to" Zanya shouted back, "We know lots you don't!"

"Then tell us what you know." The first soldier interjected again.

It was true these kids probably knew nothing, but their orders were crystal clear when it came to information about Ellone.

"We..." Zanya started, but was cut off.

"No!" Schala let out," We'll only tell the commander and... err, the captain... Tha-that's how it goes... right?" She added, losing momentum as she, apparently, gradually lost her resolve.

"That's right!" Quentin backed her up, "We won't tell some lackeys, take us to your leader!" He pushed it.

"Why you little..." The second soldier was about to snap but the first one pulled him aside.

"Don't!" He warned him, "Let's just let them in." He added, to the other man's astonishment.

"What?" He complained, "They know jack-shit. It's a waste of time."

"Maybe." The first one replied, "But our orders are to have all those with information about Ellone presented to those two."

"But they have nothin'!" he insisted.

"Probably not." The first one continued, a mischievous smile suddenly on his face, "Then those two will punish these kids... severely. And maybe they'll let you join in."

The second soldier pondered for a moment before showing a smile of his own, more on the evil side though.

"Ok." He replied before turning back to the kids who stood back, waiting eagerly for their response. "Ok, kids. Walk this way." He added smugly.

"Right in here." The first soldier led them in after opening the doors and stepping through himself.

The SeeDs followed the soldier inside, at all times succeeding to mask their satisfaction coming from a successful plan.

The interior of the Inn was much changed from what those who were familiar with it, remembered. Instead of the simple but pristine blue glass lobby decorations, with the glass front desk and leather couches and plants all over, there was just a heavy wooden table with a few chairs, two of them on the opposite side, were occupied by Fujin's lithe frame and Raijin's bulky one. Both raised their heads from the papers they were looking at to acknowledge the arrivals.

"WHAT?" Fujin said in her loud raspy voice.

"Yeah, what's up, ya know!" Raijin reinforced, curious about the soldier but mostly about his three guests.

"Sirs!" He greeted with a forced salute, "These kids here claim to hold information about Ellone." He stated.

That gained Fujin's attention as she focused on the apparently unfamiliar characters who seemed to shy away from her stare, keeping their heads down.

"Really?" That's good, ya know!" Raijin replied, loudly raising from his chair and leaning over the table to look at them better.

Though there was something about them he couldn't quite shake, he didn't recognize them from the ones in the crowd at their arrival in the harbour.

"Yeah..." Quentin said, keeping the act till the soldier left.

They couldn't afford setting off the alarm before they had a chance to try and convince the duo.

"And we'll only tell you about it..." He added, clearly meaning they wouldn't talk in front of the soldier.

Raijin narrowed his eyes momentarily before agreeing.

"Alright, we'll listen to ya." He told them, waving his hand at the soldier dismissively, "Ya may go, ya know!"

The soldier forced another salute, turned and left the room without another word, leaving the SeeDs alone with the former cadets.

Fujin was still staring hard at them with her one good eye. There was something oddly familiar about their body shape and bone structure, something suspicious on how they kept their heads down so their faces were concealed by either their hair or cap.

Something definitely felt funky about them...

"Alright, we're alone now, ya know!" Raijin started, keeping his position behind the table, "What d'ya have to say to us?" He asked, not particularly suspicious but instinctively aware of his long time partner's alertness.

"Well... It's about Ellone..." Quentin started, stepping forward but keeping his head down so as not to be recognised, trying to get them by surprise.

But, it seemed they were not so lucky. Out of the blue, Fujin followed her gut and reached for her Chakram, launching forward straight at Quentin. Instincts kicked in and the instructor ducked and rolled to the side. The sharp rotating bladed disk caught only his cap and threw it off, uncovering his long blond hair that fell behind him. The Chakram turned in the air like a boomerang and returned to its owner's awaiting hand as she frowned.

"INTRUDERS!" She let out.

"Woah, it's instructor Trepe, ya know!" Raijin shouted, seemingly not surprised at all at the revelation.

Without hesitation or change in his friendly tone, the large dark skinned young man picked up his heavy Quarterstaff and waved it around his head.

Their cover blown, Schala and Zanya raised their heads, revealing their identity to those who still had doubts about them. The latter raised her gloved fists, ready to engage at the littlest of signals.

"Schala here too, ya know! And..." Raijin squinted for a few seconds, "And Zanya! Woah! What a surprise, ya know!" He continued, his voice only betraying some surprise as he identified Zanya, certainly for the look changing hairstyle.

"We're here to kick your butts the hell outta town, ya know!" Zanya replied, shaking her head suddenly as she realised her choice of words, "I mean: We're here to kick your butts!"

Quentin, having also recovered, stood up and cracked his chainwhip loudly, indicating his readiness for battle.

"Ya should have laid low like we asked, ya know!" Raijin restarted as they kept their stalemate, "We would have left sooner or later without a fuss, ya know!" He added.

"And your orders to burn the town?" Quentin asked, making Raijin's forehead twitch slightly.

"Ya know about that?" He wondered.

"We ran into some soldiers in FH." Zanya replied, "We got rid of them before they got the chance and we're doing the same thing to you guys." She added.

"Ahh, so that's what happened to those guys, ya know!" Raijin wondered, remembering some soldier report that the GENS Mars, the battleship porting FH hadn't reported in on schedule.

"We know it, we did it!" She replied back, surprising him since his trademark line was never meant to be a question.

"But you're not going to do it, are you?" Schala spoke, stopping the others' exchange instantly, "You're not going to burn down Balamb Town, are you... Fujin?"

Stormy blue locked on blood shot red, as they had been since the SeeDs' identities had been revealed.

"NOT INTENTION." Fujin replied after a small pause, never tearing her eye from the brunette gunblader's.

"So, what are you still doing here?" Quentin inquired.

"WAITING FOR YOU." She replied, her fixation on Schala making it unclear for the rest of them if she was referring to the return of Garden and the SeeDs or just her.

"Why?" Zanya asked, not seeing the reason behind them waiting for them to return and kick their butts.

But this time, the albino teen didn't need to answer.

"Seifer." Schala spoke, catching the others by surprise for the lack of hostility of her tone.

Fujin's eye narrowed to a thin silt, keeping the other woman's stare as it seemed for the both of them, that there were no one else in the room.

"You noticed it too, didn't you Fujin?" Schala said calmly, "You noticed that he is not the Seifer we know."

Her eye twitched slightly, it was so little a reaction that only Schala seemed to see it.

"He's..." Schala struggled to find the right word, "...wrong. The sorceress did something to him, I know you saw it too! That's why you disobeyed his orders! That's why you didn't kill the SeeDs and cadets on sight! And that's why you're not going to burn down the town!" Schala added, her tone rising with each sentence, reigniting the tension her initial calm speech temporarily muffled.

"QUIET!" Fujin barked, tightening the hold on her round blade, "FOLLOW SEIFER!"

"That's right, ya know!" Raijin elaborated, "We're with Seifer all the way no matter what, ya know!" He shouted out and started it all.

With a flick of his wrist, he lifted his staff under the table toppling it over and making the SeeDs step back to avoid being crushed. At the same time, Fujin threw her Chakram directly at Schala's head. With lightning speed reflexes, Schala reached and removed Revolver from the bag, dropping it on the lobby floor as she deflected the flying blade away, sending it back to its master's hand.

And thus, the unavoidable battle began.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The two soldiers guarding the Inn's entrance almost jumped from their posts as a sudden and loud commotion started from inside the closed doors behind them. They looked at each other as they tried to decipher the ruckus.

"What the hell was that?" The first soldier wondered.

"Sounds like those kids are getting it rough in there. Good." The second soldier assumed, turning his back at the door, "Guess it was too much to ask that they'd let me help discipline those kids, huh?"

"Yeah... Sorry, buddy." The first one tried to console him, though his inside really thought he shouldn't encourage such violence against kids.

"Meh, story of my life... I never get to do the fun part..." He sighed out, "At least it sounds like the two freaks are beating those three brats pretty good." He added.

"Sounds like..." The first soldier commented, unsure anyone deserved the rough treatment they were certainly receiving.

Seconds of turmoil continued behind them and before any of them could comment further, they were thrown forward when something big crashed through the glass door and hit them from behind, sending glass shards all over the pavement.

"Woah! OUCH!" A strong voice came from across the street, meaning that whatever hit them was not only a person but it had been thrown quite a distance too.

Raising their heads, the two soldiers quickly recognized the blunt object as the Captain. Exchanging a look, they got back to their feet while staring at him.

"Sir?" The first soldier started, "Did you do something to piss off the Commander again?" He wondered. He'd only ever witnessed the tiny albino girl being able to hurt and actually hurl the dark-skinned-three-times-her-size young man.

"Man, you do that a lot!" The second soldier added, seeing as in the two days they had been in Balamb, it'd happen at least three times, not counting the ones while on Galbadia Garden.

They were so focused on the large, hurting man, believing Fujin was the one responsible for his current state, they had no reaction when Zanya jumped at them from behind and knocked their heads together into unconsciousness and not even slowing down as she rushed towards her target, the one she had just tossed out of the Inn.

She reached him doing a double punch combo followed by a knee hit, all parried by the then recovered Raijin's staff. His expert swings directed at her were also parried or deflected. Now, Raijin usually refrained from fighting or beating women, but Zanya always felt more like one of the guys than a girl, so he didn't hold back. As he caught an opening and was ready to strike at her, his staff was stopped by the crack of a chainwhip wrapping around its end. Quentin tugged on his chain, bringing Raijin off balance enough for Zanya to strike a blow of her own.

The blonde martial artist performed a Heel Drop followed by an uppercut punch reinforced with water magic. Raijin was thrown a couple metres but recovered with a backwards roll. The staff was still in his hand and was still connected to the instructor's whip so Raijin channelled a powerful thunder spell through his staff and through the usually non conductive weapon that, having been wet by Zanya's Dolphin Blow, allowed for the electricity to course through it all the way to the hand of its master.

Quentin was thrown back by the shocking blow, releasing Raijin's staff and allowing him to focus his attacks back to the martial artist. The instructor shook the static paralysis away. He'd felt that even through his GF thunder elemental protection, fearing the result if he hadn't Quetzalcoatl junctioned at the moment.

Recovered and ready to get back into the fold, the instructor couldn't stop but notice the constant clanking of metal against metal coming from the inside of the Inn. Fujin and Schala had engaged one another so vigorously that they left no room for any type of assistance, from either side.

Fujin launched her Chakram at the gunblader repeatedly till Schala was able to close the distance between them. But the albino girl proved to be as proficient a melee fighter than ranged. She moved gracefully and swiftly, swinging her round blade while securely held in her right hand. She left no openings for Schala to land a clean blow, as she did the same.

As their blades connected once more, Schala pressed the trigger forcing Fujin to flip backwards to avoid the upwards shockwave. Narrowing her visible eye, she cast a powerful tornado spell that kept her opponent at bay long enough for her to raise the stakes.

Quentin finished casting his Laser Eye attack, forcing Raijin to move in to Zanya's Mach Kick, just as a thunderous rumble echoed behind him. Turning around, he barely had enough time to duck and raise his hand to protect his face from the rain of glass shards coming from the exploding Inn. As glass showered not only the driveway but spreading till the far reaches of the entire town, Raijin and Zanya barely reacted, so focused they seemed to be in their punch and swing exchange.

When it finally stopped and Quentin was able to look up again, he saw something unbelievable.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

From their position on Balamb Garden's bridge, Nida, Mark and Carol stood with watchful eyes over the edge all the way to Balamb Town, waiting in anticipation for the Commander's promised signal, one that, in her own words, they'd recognise when they saw it.

And in truth, they did...

Out of the blue, without any warning whatsoever, there was a huge explosion in the large structure of the Inn, one clearly seen from their location even without use of the binoculars. But that was not all. From the Inn's top, and the apparent reason for it to blow up, erupted a huge, purplish humanoid shape carrying what seemed to be a giant bag on the back. The instructor was particularly surprised to see it as he recognised it as the wind elemental GF, Pandemona, Guardian Force he knew to belong to a certain albino cadet. He was unsure why the cadet would be in Balamb Town after the evacuation and even more so as to why she would call upon it during a galbadian military invasion.

Whatever was going on down there, he was sure that it was so very not good.

"Sooooo..." Nida started, drawing his senior SeeD from his musings, "Is that the _'bait'_ signal or the _'get that giant blue ass over here STAT'_ sign?" He wondered, quite rhetorically, really.

The intention was clearly to have confirmation since the signal in question was quite self explanatory.

"Get that giant blue ass over here... definitely... and fast." Mark replied, with Carol nodding emphatically behind the two men,

Without another word or second, Nida started the systems and manned the controls, turning the left rudder all the way and turning the Garden about, setting to follow the island and approach the town from the west coast. As the giant blue fish set towards its destination, thunder clouds started to gather, appearing outta nowhere all over the island, focusing directly over Balamb Town.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Quetzalcoatl's screech echoed through the thunderstorms as the yellow dragon soared the darkened skies, adding his own thunderbolts to those being unleashed by the thunder clouds upon the tall lightning rod figure of Pandemona. The wind elemental felt the electrical attacks deeply and painfully, the sheer intensity knocking her over the side, collapsing half of the still standing Inn's structure.

The thunder God remained flying among his summoned clouds, recharging for a new wave as the purple giant struggled to get back to her feet. The thunder elemental's attacks were particularly effective against the wind colossus, and Pandemona didn't see it kindly to more of the rough treatment. She had to find a way to incapacitate the annoying flying dragon before he had the chance to hurt her again.

And she knew just the thing.

Using the little remaining structure of the Inn, Pandemona got back to her feet, seeing Quetzalcoatl circling around for a second pass. She reached her right hand over her shoulder, activating the three entrances of the intrinsic bag she carried whose tube went from her shoulder crossed her back and around her waist. Suddenly, the air began to move towards the purple giant, more specifically, to her shoulder. The air and clouds started to get pulled into those openings, inflating the bag as for every second passed, more and more strongly everything was being sucked in.

Eventually, even the thunder god started to feel the pull of the over sized vacuum cleaner, and tried to fly away from its reach but it was too late and he was caught in the wind flow. In desperation, he sent numerous powerful thunderbolts towards the threat but the lightning itself seemed to be being pulled inside the large sac instead of hitting their intended targets. He continued to struggle, but as time passed, the distance between the two GFs shortened.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

From the ground, Quentin tore his eyes from his assisting function and looked up in response to the sound of his GFs panicked screeches. Pandemona seemed to had gotten the upper hand at that point.

His attention was drawn back to ground level as he caught a glimpse of Schala back flipping to avoid another flight of Fujin's rounded blade. She came into view, catching her weapon in midair and getting ready to throw it again.

Knowing the brunette gunblader would be able to defend against her attack, as she had done thus far, Fujin opted for a little upgrade. She focused her magic and launched her Chakram, infusing it with the power of the wind. As it neared its target, the wind shifted, changing the direction of the attack and catching Schala off guard. Her body was assaulted by a sharp pain on her left shoulder as the wind enhanced weapon cut deeply into it. She stumbled, grabbing her shoulder as the blood flowed over her denim sleeved jacket, painting crimson lines down her arms and dropping off her fingertips.

Still holding her gunblade, Schala only had the time to cast a quick cure spell, not nearly enough to stop the bleeding, before the blade flew at her again. And again it changed directions, catching her on her right side. Schala stumbled onto one knee, cringing at the pain in her side. Quickly assessing the damage, she was grateful to find wasn't as severe as her shoulder, Schala thought hard and fast on how to prevent a new attack. The change in direction at will made it impossible for her to protect from it with her blade alone so, taking her cue from Fujin's ingenuity, Schala aimed to do the same.

As the Chakram came at her again, and again changed directions, Schala tapped into Shiva's power to call forth a thick ice barrier around her, encasing her in an ice block which deflected the bladed weapon without effort.

Fujin caught her blade upon its returned, changing her position as to see the ice block better. She knew perfectly well that wasn't normal ice, which would be easily destroyed by a flight of her blade. That was magic ice and would be able to resist just about any physical attack she could throw at it.

Approaching it carefully, Fujin strained her brain looking for a way to break the ice before the gunblader could recover her breathe inside the effective protection.

She didn't have to think for long as movement from the inside made her duck for cover as Schala swung directly against the ice, pressing the trigger and unleashing one of her most powerful moves, the Fated Circle. The breaking of her encasing added numerous ice shards to the coming shockwave which swiped her surroundings. Despite Fujin's cover, she was hit by the ice shards that cut through the rubble, nicking her on the face and shoulder and stabbing her on her left leg.

Before she could properly heal herself, Schala leaped from behind the rubble, slamming her blade on the ground where Fujin kneeled before back flipping out of reach. Now, in a close range scenario and with an injured leg, it was Schala who had the upper hand.

Meanwhile, Raijin kept fighting off the attacks of the two blonds with an assortment of both physical and thunder attacks. Despite the two keeping him busy, he immediately sensed his partner calling forth her GF, certainly aiming for a swift ending. That plan had gone with the wind when the instructor summoned his own entity to battle it. Their advantage was gone and he became unsure they could defeat them.

Channelling a new thunder spell onto his staff, he prepared for a Raijin Special. As Zanya advanced for a new Mack Kick, Raijin charged as well, swinging his charged staff expertly and abnormally fast. However, instead of aiming to her centre, as he'd been doing so far, he aimed low for her support leg as she raised the other one for the kick. The attack tripped her so she'd fall straight to his following swing, this one directed and hitting her on the chest. The mixture of physical strength and lightning threw her almost all the way to Quentin, who had kept a safe distance from Raijin's strong physical attacks. Zanya was able to recover enough in mid flight to twirl and land on one knee. She raised her head with a glare, intending on charging her opponent again but what she saw made her hesitate.

Raijin was glowing with yellow light, focused more intensively on his staff as he slammed in on the ground. Electricity surrounded both fighter and weapon as he smiled back at them.

"Time to bring out the big guns, ya know! He let out.

The power focused on the top of his staff till a bolt of lightning came out, charging behind him and forming a circle of electricity which expanded till it reached and overcame the large man's height. Through the static, the SeeDs could almost make out a different setting from across the lightning, some unfamiliar and unknown plains.

Raijin smirked as he picked up his staff and without hesitation, slammed the circle behind him causing for a blinding flash of yellow light. The shining light then materialised into a majestic creature and when the SeeDs' eyes recovered, they found themselves face to face with a tall horse, with a grey coat with yellow stripes almost but not like a zebra's. He had a pushed up light grey tail and its mane flowed through the length of his neck and back, with three ponytails falling on each side of its thick, long neck. He also had some armour on his front legs and under his neck was like a thick golden belt. But the most prominent aspect of the horse was on his forehead where he had a lightning shaped horn which glistered with uncast thunder.

Ixion neighed high, rearing in his hind legs and making sparks fly from his horn, scorching the stone pavement around him.

Zanya cringed but didn't flinch at the sight as she gathered her bearings and readied for action. She slammed her fist on the ground and from the centre outwards, the ground burned in a circle of molten rock. Zanya flipped backwards just as the ground shattered and pieces of burning sidewalk flew all around the irrupting Fire Lord. Ifrit roared as he eyed his four legged opponent who didn't hesitate as he charged straight at the fire demon.

Ifrit caught Ixion literally by the horn but that didn't stop the untameable horse as he, also literally, dragged Ifrit down the street leading to the docks.

"Ok... didn't expect that one..." Raijin confessed seeing the elemental which was supposed to turn the battle in their favour, run off with a dog on its back...

He didn't have time to dwell much as incoming Micro Missiles forced him to refocused, casting something of an electrical net in front of him. The shock from the exploding impact was still enough to throw him back, creating an opening for Zanya to rush at him once more...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Pandemona halted the air flow going into her large sac, the threat posed by the thunder dragon nullified. He had fought against it, hard too, but Quetzalcoatl was eventually and successfully sucked inside. Instead of inverting the air flow and releasing the bag's contents with the full power of her wind magic, Pandemona kept everything in. Even if Quetzalcoatl suffered a big blow by being tossed around in the wind, he would probably still be able to attack her with lightning. Better keep him contained and not take that chance.

Pandemona looked down at the human battles in time to see two more GFs facing off by the harbour. Recognising the horse as her master's companion's entity, she decided to intervene there so both could finish off their masters' enemies swiftly and effectively. As the wind elemental made to leave the rubble, she felt something...

...Something behind her...

She looked over her shoulder, to her large, bloated purple bag. But something was definitely off. Even with all she had sucked in previously, the sac shouldn't be so wide and it certainly shouldn't be continuing to expand by the second. She shifted her pose so that she could hold the growing sac in her large hands. Felt like something was moving inside when suddenly, she felt a jolt... from the inside. The jolt turned into a constant tingling that spread through the whole inner surface of the bag, making it extremely uncomfortable.

As the prickling intensified, never stopping expanding, it turned to pain and she could feel the bag, which was nothing less than an extension of herself, starting to give in to the strain and the ache... till it couldn't hold any longer. Her large sac exploded in a ball of lightning with Quetzalcoatl at it centre, the debilitating instant releasing all of its contents and sending Pandemona plummeting on the last remaining upright wall once part of the Balamb Inn, sealing its complete destruction.

Pandemona herself was in too great a pain to stand, retreating to her master's mind so as to recover somewhat from the unbearable blow. Quetzalcoatl was no better, the strain of unleashing such a powerful lightning attack while contained and compressed, draining his energies and made him return also to his master's mind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Down at the harbour, Ixion carried the hanging Ifrit till he planted his clawed feet, causing both of them to fall and roll over the sidewalk. Ifrit rolled into a crawl as Ixion struggled but also managed to get back on its hooves. Staring at eachother, Ifrit focused and launched a molten fire ball as Ixion stomped his front hooves on the stone pavement, sending multiple electrical streaks forward. The fire lord leaped over the lightning as the thunder horse hopped to the side to avoid the fireball, both Guardians rounding each other's position.

Ixion charged again but this time the fire demon held its ground. The horse slammed into him, dragging him a few steps but no more, being held by his horn as Ifrit used his whole strength to keep him in place. Disliking being contained, Ixion charged his horn unleashing lightning onto Ifrit who was able to resist at first but knew he wouldn't for long. Feeling him weaken, Ixion lowered his head and hit him with a horn uppercut, sending Ifrit flying up. But the fire lord wouldn't give up as easily and, keeping his hold on the horn, he ended up on the thunderous horse's back, riding style.

Ixion was greatly displeased and reared in, jumped, kicked, ran circles in the same place and even threw himself into a roll in the ground to get the dog off his back but Ifrit dug his clawed heels and hands in the horse's flesh and managed to keep from falling. Desperate for the cuts and the heat released by his passenger, Ixion rushed and jumped off the docks and into the ocean waters.

Ifrit roared as he fell into the water, pain surging in every surface of his skinned which burned – not in a good way – and hissed as if hit by acid. He splashed and struggled in panic, only making his situation worse as he kept throwing water over his un-submerged body.

Ixion rolled back to his feet, the water's depth allowing him to stand with his head out of water. He looked for his opponent not taking long to locate it amidst the splashing and the vapour. Realising his vulnerable state, Ixion readied himself to deliver the final blow, charging all his remaining electrical power onto his horn and dismissing the fact almost his entire frame was also submerged.

Ixion unleashed Thor's Hammer onto a clueless and weakened Ifrit who was unable to resist the electricity enhanced by the water and retreated to his master's mind. However, even as he defeated his opponent, Ixion was reckless. His final attack backfired when the superior charge coursed through the waters in search of a new target and hit him before it could dissipate. Ixion was a thunder elemental but he didn't account for the water. Water and electricity do not mix, and the combination of both hitting his submerged frame was more than enough to short circuit him, forcing him back into his master's mind.

The GF battles terminated, Fujin and Raijin found themselves on a tight stop.

Fujin, though being more than able to handle herself in melee combat, was far less experienced than Schala. Even though it took a while, the gunblader was able to get the upper hand, cornering her and using her special attack, Rough Divide to send a vertical shockwave that threw the skinny albino girl onto the sidewalk.

On the other side of the street, Raijin was not having better luck. Ixion's short circuit and forced return stunned him for a couple of seconds which were more than enough time for the SeeDs to gain the advantage. Quentin's new wave of Micro Missiles forced him into a corner where he was easy pickings for Zanya's Meteor Barret. The martial artist leaped into the air, focusing her energy and the little bit of Ifrit's leftover fire powers to charge up before diving down, straight at him. The energy and fire exploded on Zanya's fist's impact with Raijin's chest, sending him flying off into the sidewalk.

Standing up after the suffered attacks, visibly hurt and aching, the two friends found themselves back to back and in a pinch as the three SeeDs took positions around them.

"DEFEATED!" Fujin let out.

"Seems like it, ya know!" Raijin replied.

"Give it up!" Zanya yelled out, "We gotch'ya now!" She added.

But the victory was short lived as several clicking sounds, characteristic of weapons locking on came from all around them.

"Freese!" The leading soldier ordered among his companions.

Without turning, the SeeDs looked sideways enough to verify they were completely surrounded. As they had predicted, the battalion of soldiers stationed in the town were attracted by the commotion of their battle against the former cadets and locked on to their position... They had made it pretty hard to miss, really...

"Lay down your weapons and surrender to us... Ouch!" The soldier continued but was rudely interrupted when a rock hit him by the side of his helmet, "Who threw that?" He demanded, looking up to the lookout platform of the main plaza.

Standing on every inch of the edge where just about all of Balamb Town residents of sufficient age, most of them armed by the tools of their trades, from boat hooks to hammers and even pitchforks. Some also carrying only rocks while others had weapons, like the sabre held by the Junk Shop owner or the crossbow of the young blonde young fisher-girl.

"Why you!" He started, not too intimidated by the country bumpkin display.

"How about..." Another voice came from behind him, "You lay down your weapons and surrender to us."

The soldier, and several others, turned to see who was mouthing off at them. They then realised they were also surrounded by more townsfolk, only these looked different. There was battle experience reflected in their eyes and stance and the weapons they carried were neither traditional nor common. The soldiers quickly realised that, like the teens they were surrounding, the ones surrounding them were also SeeDs.

Still, the senior officer didn't give up.

"We have more fire power and most of you are just civilians!" He stated, "We still have the biggest force here, you surrender now!" He added.

"Are you sure about that?" The blonde girl with the crossbow wondered as she signalled for something behind him.

Many SeeDs, soldiers and townsfolk focused to where she pointed out, but the officer was not convinced.

"You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for that old trick?" He asked, to which the townsfolk, SeeDs and cadets exchanged a glance that clearly meant he was.

"Ahmm... Sir...?" One of the soldiers opposed to him called out, his stunned stare locked on something behind him and high above his head.

"What?" He asked, frowning at his and other soldiers' frightened and surprised expressions.

Slowly, the soldier turned, finally seeing what all the fuss was about... and suddenly understanding all of the reactions.

Just about on top of the town, the giant blue shape of Balamb Garden advanced towards the harbour. Though standing just about as tall, though not as wide as Galbadia Garden, Balamb Garden rose further into the air as the port waters were not as deep and the circling ring propelled it upwards, creating waterfalls from the previously submerged structures, including the wide golden ring.

Balamb Garden now stood taller and more imposing than Galbadia Garden.

With all attentions focused on the Battle, not a soul noticed the massive blue fish approaching and now, with Garden against Garden and SeeDs against soldiers, they were at a standoff.

Schala assessed the situation. It had all gone according to plan.

"Fujin... Is this what you want?" She started, able to regain some of the scattered attentions, "To fight against Garden?"

"NEGATIVE!" She replied.

"Then back down!" Quentin interjected.

"NEGATIVE!" Fujin repeated.

"We can't back down, ya know!" Raijin looked over his partner's shoulder to look at Schala, "We gotta be there for Seifer, ya know!"

Schala knew and understood, to some extent, and they knew it.

"We're the only ones there for him!" He continued, "We can't abandon our friend, ya know!"

"The hell with that!" Zanya burst out.

"Zanya!"

"They invaded Balamb Town and are fighting against Garden!" Zanya insisted despite Schala's call.

"Zanya." Schala's softer tone cut the blonde martial artist's reverie allowing her to continue addressing the former disciplinary committee, "You guys... won't go against Garden." She said more than asked.

Raijin looked at Fujin for an answer but she didn't look back, her eye focused on the gunblader.

"AFFIRMATIVE." She replied.

Schala remained silent for a moment. It was a risk to let them go, to trust them. But not to could prove to be worse... at least for Balamb Town.

"Then go." She told them, surprising the two and the soldiers surrounding them.

Were they really letting them go? As Fujin and Raijin gathered their bearings to leave, Quentin felt the need to add.

"Don't tell them what happened here." He told them, "We don't want the soldiers to return to the island."

"We won't, ya know!" Raijin replied.

"You better..." Zanya let out.

Raijin and Fujin moved towards the first barrier of SeeDs, with Raijin signalling the soldiers to stand down and retreat as Fujin walked past Schala.

"Knock some sense into that thick skull of his..." Schala almost whispered, too mow to be heard by anyone else.

Fujin stopped and shared back. She knew Schala was right. That wasn't the Seifer they all knew, but she was unsure her words would be enough to break whatever the sorceress had done to their friend's mind. There might only be one person capable of such a feat.

"I'll try." Fujin replied in an ushered, less rasp tone that surprised even Schala who had never heard her speak like that.

As the two former cadets left with the galbadian soldiers, taking a squad of hoverfoils back up towards Galbadia Garden, Schala and the SeeDs and cadets and the residents could only keep watch, making sure they'd really leave.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The town broke down in high pitched cheers and celebration as, a long fifteen minutes after the end of the battle, Galbadia Garden's massive shape started to turn and hover away from Balamb Island. The town had been liberated and there was not a soul on dry land who wasn't ecstatic with the happy development.

Well, actually, there were a couple not so happy people. Steve, the innkeeper and his wife wailed at the sight of what was once the pride and joy, a true landmark for Balamb Town. The pristine blue glass building was in shambles, completely wasted.

Schala, though not as miserable as the Inn owners, was also not as cheerful as the rest of the SeeDs, cadets and residents either. She believed Raijin and Fujin would be true to their words, but she couldn't completely ignore her doubts. In any case, she was now certain she was not alone in her belief Seifer was being controlled and had gained two allies who would stop at nothing to have the old Seifer back... no matter how irritating and obnoxious she told herself he was, it was better than the current alternative.

"Hey, Schala!" She heard the others' call.

Accompanied by Rian, Inara and Sorphan, Quentin and Zanya ran towards her. They had been able to leave the Garden through the recovered water attack vessels left behind by the soldiers in FH, placed in the altered parking lot entrance transformed into a marina by the efforts of the FH engineers and crafters. As Galbadia garden moved away, its blue counterpart moved back to less shallow waters so the people could board and disembark through aquatic means. Now they had a moving docking bay, Xu and some SeeDs were already prepping the SeeD transports kept in Balamb to be taken inside the Garden.

"Seems everything turned out for the best." Rian commented, smiling at Schala who nodded calmly in reply.

"Yeah!" Sorphan cheered, becoming serious afterwards, "You sure it's ok to let them go like that?" He wondered.

"We talked about it." Schala was the one to explain, "And Raijin and Fujin understand. They won't let the sorceress and the soldiers return here to finish what they started. Balamb is safe... for now."

They all nodded in understanding but whatever extra comment any of them was going to add was cut off when a cry coming from the town broke the relaxing moment.

"Hold up, you!"

"Get him!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Without a word, the SeeDs and Rian rushed towards the origin of the commotion. Running up the street heading to the main square, several SeeDs, cadets and residents gathered in a circle. Schala approached, cutting through the crowd in search of someone who could be able to explain what was going on. She eventually found Joan standing near two galbadian SeeDs.

"What's going on?" She asked, ignoring Inara's exchange with her compatriots.

"We caught a soldier sneaking around." Joan explained, signalling the centre of the gathering where Patrick and a galbadian SeeD, Craig, held the galbadian soldier.

"What are you doing here?" Patrick demanded, "Are you a spy?"

"I'm not a spy!" The soldier replied, pausing for a second, "Well..."

His hesitation increased the intensity of the doubtful glares as the balambian SeeD tugged on him to explain himself.

"Actually, I am a spy..." He confessed, adding quickly. "But it's not what you think! Let me explain!"

Surprised and suddenly curious, the SeeDs gave him some very slight and controlled slack.

"Who are you?" Craig asked suddenly.

He could have sworn he knew the voice behind the helmet.

"I'm glad you asked..." The soldier replied as he, very slowly as to not come out as a threat, raised his hands to his helmet and removed it.

He certainly looked odd for a soldier. His brown hair was long, his bangs almost covering the right side of his face and his long brown hair fell over his left shoulder in a loose pony tail. That was definitely not a standard military haircut and it was also... awfully familiar to a handful of SeeDs...

Quentin, Inara and the remaining Galbadian SeeDs straightened as they finally recognised him...

"...Connor?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN.: Hello, hello! Merry Christmas (Hanukkah, or whatever other celebration appropriate for your religion :))! _

_Ok, I'll try making this shorter since the chapter is already over 20.000 words long and by the time you reach the end of it, you're probably not interested and reading much more of my senseless babble... _

_First of all, hope you liked the chapter and the battles, had lots of fun writing them as per usual. I neglected to mention in the previous chapter's AN about the gravity lift idea, well... it first came to me when I thought about using Diablos gravity power to let Schala and the others go down on the island then I figured, "I can't picture the Dark GF being too happy to be used as a personal elevator..." so I extended the notion onto a device which would do if for him. It being the Shinra engineer's idea was just something that felt right at the time._

_As for the whole Mrs. Robinson scene... blame it on my Beta. She on more than one occasion wondered about Zanya's reach to puberty and how her father would help her deal with that... Never having thought about it, I found the perfect opportunity there to go... there... Anyway, sorry for that :P_

_Also, the scene in Pops house, I figured that not all SeeDs would immediately accept a newbie SeeD as their Commander so I played a bit on that... I thought it flowed rather nicely._

_Sorry if Schala's speeches sounded a wee bit sappy... Well, she's a girl and so I'm allowed some liberties, so I hope it wasn't too bad and that you liked it XD._

_Not to linger too much, I believe those were the strongest points I wanted to address..._

_I want to thank all of the loyal readers and loyal reviewers for reading and supporting this story... Keep at it :P._

_With that, enjoy the __early__**(Add-AN as in super late... even for a new year's present...)**__ Christmas present! May it be the first of many!_

_Read ya later_

_Revir_

_._

_Today's section of replies to anonymous reviews is solely dedicated to jdukes14, YAY!_

"_Thank you SO much for your review._

_First of all... LOL_

_Carrying it on, thanks again and you don't have to worry that this story isn't ending prematurely as long as I can help it, though I wouldn't mind you tracking me down... I'll even give you a hint: I live in the capital district of Portugal, look me up :P._

_You know it's funny? When I got your review I had already finished the chapter. Yup, it's true. Of course, I had it finished on hard paper and it took me a while to type it all down... in my defence, up until my AN it was almost 22.000 words, now it's a little more pass that mark... So it's an extended __**(and severely late) **__Christmas present :D_

_Stay cool and enjoy the freedom of post-finals' frenzy and..._

_Read ya later!_

_Revir ****************************************************************"_


	39. Chapter 39: M for Mobilization

**Add AN: **_Just in case you don't remember Connor, revert to chapters 19, 27 and 28... Forgot to mention that in the last chapter's AN... Anyways, carry on._

**Disclaimer: **_Among the many things I do not own... Final Fantasy VIII is in there..._

**Chapter 39 – M for Mobilization**

It was already late afternoon when the train hissed and whistled, steam rising from the engine and filling the train station with the smells and sounds it had lacked for the last couple of days.

"How's it looking in there?" Mark's booming voice rose above the ambience noise as he shouted from the platform.

"Looking good." Patrick replied from the locomotive instants before showing up on the window, "Everything seems to be in order." He added.

"You guys did really good fixing that thing up." Mark commented, looking up at the transport.

Though he hadn't seen it in its most destroyed state, Mark knew the train station had suffered major damage from the collision of the runaway train. The platform was still a mess, uneven and cracked, with debris all over the place. The trains in the adjacent tracks had suffered the worst of it though. The direct impact had broken through the three engines on the rail, completely obliterating them.

The surviving train was a relic, to say the least, kept away in the train yard purely due to the nostalgic whim of an old conductor. It was an old steam locomotive that worked on coal. Now coal was extremely rare on modern times, having been replaced by more efficient power sources, and machines that ran on coal were rarer still. There was no way they could find enough of the material to travel through the tunnel towards Timber, so the SeeDs had to adapt, with a considerable amount of help from some of the locals.

Metal workers and the town's handyman, technicians and the Junkshop owner, all of them pitched in to transform the old steam locomotive into an electric and gas powered engine. It was patch work at best, but Patrick and the townsfolk seemed confident enough that it could hold... at least till Timber where they could acquire a more reliable means of transportation.

Patrick's reply was cut off by a shrieking cry coming from behind him that rose high above the background train noise, making him cover his ears.

"Sorphan, honey, stop deafening other people." Inara's sweet tone came from inside the cabin, oddly clear even among the loud noises surrounding them.

"But this is so cool!" Sorphan cheered, finally coming into view exiting the backwards cabin access, "This is a real late last century cast iron steam engine locomotive! The boiler can withstand over three hundred..."

"Yes, yes, honey, I know. I know." Inara interrupted before he could let out the rather extensive list of train properties and capacities and any all other details which would take the best part of two hours to relay... and yes, she knew from experience, "And I'm sure everyone would _looove_ to hear all about it. But Greg says they want to leave as soon as possible."

Sorphan pouted as he jumped down onto the platform and Mark smiled at the relieved sigh he noticed Patrick releasing, for fear the tall brunet could be joining them on their retrieval mission. His sheer love for trains posed for a very likely possibility and Patrick doubted he could survive the younger man's bubbly train enthusiasm. That would make for an excruciatingly loooooooong trip. Luckily the Galbadian red headed SeeD managed to steer him away.

"Yeah!" The tall dark skinned galbadian SeeD let out as he followed them two steps from the ladder but remained on top of the train. "We want to hit Timber before nightfall."

He added, battling for balance as a second galbadian SeeD, the one with shoulder length blond hair, stepped behind him and nearly pushed him off the train.

"It's a long way out." He told them, "Sure you don't want to come, Red?" He asked with a certain suggestion under his tone.

Sorphan stopped wailing and looked back at the galbadian SeeD in question. He was lean, relatively good looking... his hair was a bit on the long side but nothing compared to Quentin's. And he was shorter than him. Sorphan kept staring as Inara, apparently ignoring the tall teen's discomfort, replied with a smile.

"Pass." She replied and Sorphan released a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

The galbadian was taken a bit back by that. It was rare for Inara to say "no" to an outing. He looked closely as the sharpshooter hooked her arm with the tall brunet with messy hair. Her grabbing guys wasn't unusual, but there was something on her hold that time that felt more… intimate. Thorpe had to wonder what exactly the deal between those two was.

"C'mon Sorphan" Inara said as she hooked her arm in his, "Headmaster Cid should have already come to shore and Schala wants us all to gather at Zanya's place."

"Awww…. Alright." Sorphan surrendered, looking back at the train with pleading eyes, "Can we just stay till the train leaves? Please!" He wailed with a pout so cute that Inara didn't have it in her to refuse it.

"Alright." She caved.

"YAY!" Sorphan cheered as the train whistled again.

"Safe trip!" Mark's booming voice sounded above the steam train as it started moving slowly on the platform, increasing in speed at every second.

The two galbadian SeeDs stepped inside as the train sped out of the station and Patrick waved an arm off the cabin's window. The train moved as steadily as possible, down the tracks out of Balamb Town, passing a short distance of the island's green plains before disappearing down the underwater tunnel connecting with the Galbadian continent and the City of Timber.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Schala stood in attention as the access from the vessel opened wide. Moments later, Headmaster Cid stepped out along with Quentin and Xu, the two staying a bit behind to say goodbye to each other.

The train some of the other SeeDs and cadets had been fixing during their stay should have been close to departure and they would cover the railroad towns to recover the evacuated SeeDs they'd find, Balambian and Galbadian alike, in order to bring them back to the island.

The coastline was a different matter. With the armada and Galbadia Garden still at large, the SeeD attack vessels could move in and out, checking coastal towns and gathering those who sought refuge there. The news that Dakar had been heavily hit was concerning, but being the end of the line and so close to Galbadia Empire borders, it was likely few, if any, SeeD or cadet went there to hide.

The headmaster finally managed to cross the small access pier, helped greatly by Quentin after one last farewell kiss to the dark haired SeeD. Xu was to be in charge of the attack vessel squadron – consisting of a few SeeDs, cadets and Craig, the galbadian SeeD squad leader – whose mission was to search the coast using not only the previously stored Balambian attack vessels, but the Galbadian ones recovered from the attack on FH.

On the harbour, awaiting the arrival of the headmaster who kept stumbling with every stronger breath of salty wind or flash wave, was Schala accompanied by Rian and the female galbadian SeeD with the long dark haired braid, Athema. As the headmaster finally made it to dry land and the attack vessels darted off into high sea, the SeeDs saluted while Rian merely waved at the older man's approach.

"Well... It's been too long since I last travelled by sea..." Headmaster Cid confessed, as if excusing his clumsiness, "I'm out of practice." He added, noticing their salutes and dismissing them with a wave.

Settling down, the headmaster looked around for the first time. It had been years since he last set foot in the town, despite the fact he lived and worked less than a ten minute car ride from it. His affairs at the Garden rarely afforded him any spare time for sightseeing, so he usually kept to the facility, but he still remembered the town as it once was.

Truth was, it hadn't changed all that much.

People might have moved in or out, born and died but there were no new houses, the streets and little patio gardens always kept. The harbour also remained unchanged. It kept the same number of piers and roughly the same number of docked fishing boats too, mostly aged and even the new were at least over ten years old. Perhaps the most obvious sight change was on the street leading up from the harbour. He remembered plainly the old, rundown canned fish factory that rose higher than any other building in the town.

At the time, he spent most of his time between the Garden site and the town, picking up or dropping out experts, engineers and workers from the train station or harbour, to work on making the Garden operational as an academy. He recalled, starring at the now inexistent building, the closing of the factory and the start of remodelling work to build a hotel. On the few times he had come in to town since that, he used to marvel at the work they had accomplished, the beauty of the blue glass hotel, now shattered all over the sidewalk.

Pushing his thoughts back at the back of his mind, he finally focused on the SeeDs and Rian. Schala's difference in attire still caught his eye, but he stirred clear of that topic to the more pressing matters.

"Good work securing the town, Commander." He noted, to which Schala twitched slightly.

It had not been without incidents.

"I look forward for your report." He added but didn't linger on it, "I was told you made contact with some surviving SeeDs from Galbadia Garden." He commented, noticing and not recognizing the young woman with the long black braid standing behind the Commander.

Athema stood in attention immediately, stepping forward.

"Headmaster, sir." She greeted with the utmost respect and courtesy.

"At ease." He waved it off. These kids were too formal, "Martine sent you here." He went straight to the point.

"Yes, sir." She replied.

"I hear you played an important part in helping to keep the people safe and take back the town, I thank you." He commented, actually making the girl blush slightly as she renewed her salute. Instead, Cid focused back on Schala, "Quentin tells me another SeeD from Galbadia revealed himself in soldier uniform." He wondered since just the other day, Quentin, Sorphan and Inara had returned to Garden dressed in soldier uniform.

It was becoming a trend.

"Yes, sir." Schala replied, "He was hiding inside Galbadia Garden. I asked him to wait at the Dincht residence for us to hear his report." She added.

Normally, the priority of the report would fall on the headmaster alone and he'd relay the information he deemed fit to his underlings. However, Schala's new position as Commander meant she needed to learn firsthand everything about the situation so she could make pondered decisions. So, even if the "we" should mean herself and the headmaster, she never considered for a moment on keeping the other SeeDs and Rian out of the loop.

They were all in it together after all, or so they kept telling her…

"Good, good." Cid replied, nodding repeatedly, "Let us not keep him waiting, then. I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell."

No one on that harbour had doubts about that.

Schala nodded and the SeeDs, Rian and headmaster Cid started walking up the street leading to the residential area of the town. Moments later, they arrived at the ruins of the Balambian Hotel where the innkeeper and his wife, helped by several other locals, scavenged the remains for anything that could be salvaged. Among the locals, some SeeDs and cadets were also lending a hand.

Zanya was also amidst the rubble, mainly helping with the heavy lifting. She lifted almost a full generally intact wall above her head and threw it to the "unsalvageable" pile as others gathered to see if there was anything of use under it.

"Zanya!" Quentin called out, knowing the girl would want to hear what the young galbadian SeeD had to say.

The blonde martial artist turned her head from the rubble and noticed the SeeDs walking around with the headmaster and in two long strides, more like giant leaps, she got out of the wreckage and next to them.

"Hey!" She greeted, so far the only one to neglect the salute. No one noticed or seemed to care.

"That's quite a mess there…" The headmaster commented and the three Balambian SeeDs couldn't help the tinge of guilt over the situation.

After all, it had been their confrontation with the former Garden cadets that had brought, quite literally, the house down. Well… technically it had been the work of the GF Pandemona, but they still felt somewhat responsible.

After the small pause, they resumed their trek up the street and towards Zanya's house. On top, they reached the main plaza where hours before, the people of Balamb Town plus most of the evacuated SeeDs and cadets had gathered to make a stand against the galbadian army's invading forces. It had been a moment the townsfolk wouldn't soon forget…

There, Inara and Sorphan joined them coming from the train station, reporting on the successful – as far as they were aware – departure of the train to Timber. Mark had stayed behind to oversee the continuance of the clearing work on the tracks. If the SeeDs were returning, they would need all the platforms available for their reception.

With the gang reunited, they headed towards Zanya's house to hear of the recent happenings within the occupied Galbadia Garden from their recently recovered reliable source.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Connor stepped out of the washroom considerably refreshed. It had been extremely nice of to offer his shower and clothes to change out of the galbadian soldier's itchy and smelly uniform.

They fit surprisingly well considering the man was twice his age, he had aged well. Connor stood in front of a full size mirror, checking them out. He was given a pair of trousers that were a bit short, not covering his legs completely, a pair of sneakers, a dark t-shirt from an apparent rock band he had never heard about before, which he wore over a long sleeved white shirt. He used a rubber band to tie his long wet hair in a ponytail that hung over his left shoulder to the front, as he preferred to and was ready.

Happy, more than anything to be out of that stolen uniform which had probably not been washed in the last month, he looked around the room. Though it was who extended every courtesy, he ended up changing in his daughter's room. He was stunned once he recognized the blonde young woman in the square as the spiked haired tattooed teenager who strolled onto Galbadia Garden less than a week ago. The change was remarkable and if he hadn't recognized her voice, he would never have made the connection.

He looked around this peculiar female teenager's room. She sure was a different sort of girl. Very little inside those walls indicated it belonged to a female. The posters were of famous fighters and wrestlers, not exactly pretty boys though there were a couple slim ones with exposed muscled torsos. There was a punching bag which seemed to have suffered through quite the amount of punishment. There were combat magazines and fighting comics. Wrestling action figures and a general disorganisation which, were this Galbadia Garden during a surprised inspection, would have landed her and anyone else in the room, into a disciplinary hearing or even suspension.

Definitely a rather peculiar girl…

Finally ready and done with his snooping around, Connor stepped back into the hall on the second floor. It wasn't that big of a house, but it certainly was a cosy home.

"Connor?" Pops Dincht called out from the lower floor, as if he knew he was out though he didn't believe he had made any sound.

"I'm coming down, now." he replied, heading for the stairs.

"Good." he shouted back and Connor could almost hear the smile on his voice.

He certainly was a cheerful host, especially considering what he and the rest of the town had been through in the last couple of days.

"I got a plate of food here with your name on it." Connor couldn't help the smile as he reached the ground floor and saw the tall host with an apron on his waist and his stove bubbling with activity, "I bet you're hungry after all that time on soldier rations." he added, turning and smiling as if, again, he knew he was there.

Connor usually was very stealthy, even got considerably close to the SeeDs in the plaza before they made him. This man had to have extrasensory hearing...

"Sit" The old man told him and Connor obeyed.

In five seconds flat, Pops Dincht had placed in the table in front of him the most filled plate he had ever seen a whole squad eat, less alone one person. There was bacon, eggs, toast, but there was also rice, chips, some grilled sausages, on a side in the same plate there were buttered pancakes, butter beans and hot buttered mini buns. And if that weren't enough, Pops placed at least 5 extra and equally full plates in front of him, though their content differed. There was one plate that must have had at least twenty hotdogs.

He couldn't expect Connor to eat all that, right?

"You're not eating. Aren't you hungry?" Pops asked and Connor had to think for a moment on a polite way to say _'there's no way one person could possibly eat all this!'_

"Well... It's quite a lot..." He lacked the words at the moment to express himself any better without being too blunt.

But Pops actually laughed, though sporting a somewhat embarrassed expression.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just used to cook to my little Zan"

For a moment, all Connor could think was that she must not be so little if she ate like that every time... Then he remembered he actually knew her and, well she wasn't big. In fact, she was quite muscular – the most muscular woman he had ever seen, even – and he figured that if she indeed ate so much all the time, the girl must have a monstrous metabolism.

His thoughts on the matter were interrupted when the subject of them stormed through the door.

"Hey Pops! We're back!" Zanya cheered, walking in as if she owned the place… which in a way, she did.

Looking around she saw her dad, she saw Connor... Then she saw the food and forgot everything else.

"Yay, hotdogs!" she cheered and unceremoniously, plopped down on a chair and started stuffing them in her mouth.

She actually seemed to be swallowing them whole, not even stopping to breathe. Connor was fascinated, suddenly feeling like a wild monster observer, watching from behind cover how a T-Rexaur devoured its prey.

"I really tried teaching her manners, truly..." Pops let out to Connor, who just smiled, "Takes too much after her mother on that, I'm afraid..." he sighed and looked up at the rest of the newcomers.

"Welcome all..." The tall man greeted as the SeeDs led by Schala entered the house, much more orderly than a certain hotdog devouring teenager…

Connor got up from his chair to see and greet them. Most of them he remembered both from the plaza and visiting Galbadia Garden when it was still stationary and under Headmistress Martine's command. Standing right next to their host, he noticed him suddenly stiffening.

Looking at the entrance, an older man came in with receding short brown hair, glasses hanging at the end of his nose, thick of bones, sorta say, and wearing brown trousers and a red vest. Connor remembered seeing a picture of him on the archives and headmistress's files. That was the headmaster of Balamb Garden. Connor immediately saluted to which the older man nodded and dismissed.

"Headmaster Cid…" Quentin started the introductions but the headmaster simply smiled, waving off the formalities.

"Pops Dincht. So nice to see you again." Cid unceremoniously greeted the considerably taller man.

A quick glance told Connor that the feeling might not be completely mutual for some reason. Pops seemed to force a smile as he replied.

"Mr. Kramer." he greeted somewhat drily, "Please, make yourself at home." he added, signalling the table where Zanya was sitting, completely oblivious with their exchange while continuing to stuff herself with food... Nearly having cleared half the full table.

"Thank you for your hospitality." The headmaster replied in his stead.

If he noticed the cold shoulder, he certainly didn't show it. Pops went to the side to get more food for the emptying table while headmaster Cid switched his focus to the Galbadian SeeD.

"Connor, is it?" he asked, with Connor nodding his affirmative reply, "Well then son, I was told you have quite a tale to tell." he added.

When Connor revealed himself and was recognised back at the plaza by his peers, questions flew out from just about every mouth. It was worse than when they thought he was a galbadian spy... Well, spying on them anyways.

It had actually been Schala – the brunette gunblader in denim he had some difficulty relating to the brunette gunblader in black leather he met back in Galbadia Garden – that managed to silence the masses with a single and widely heard word. She insisted that everyone calmed "the Hell down", her words, and that they'd call the headmaster down to clear all matters, pointing out the futility of having Connor repeat the same story a half a dozen times.

Every SeeD and cadet from Balamb Garden seemed to heed her words, quite surprisingly so, and that was when Pops offered his home for Connor to clean up while they waited for the headmaster. It was only later that Connor found out that Schala had actually been appointed, by headmaster Cid himself, as Commander of SeeD.

After the little act he just witnessed, he had no objections.

"Yes, sir." Connor replied with a nod as the remaining SeeDs spread around the table, none apart from the host's daughter eating anything.

Cid gestured him to sit as well as he took the chair next to him. Pops Dincht disappeared once it was apparent the displayed food would last for a while.

"So let's hear it, then." Inara started with a smile, taking the lead off the headmaster who didn't seem to mind the intrusion and just stared back.

Inara had also been a surprising sight, especially being so cosy and friendly... And not in her usual way, except perhaps with the tall brunet. Connor nodded again, suddenly hesitating... _Where to start..._

"Start with beginning, son." the headmaster suggested as if reading his mind and, with another nod, he did so...

"Well... It all started about a week ago..."

Flashback

Connor exited the lift on the third floor, heading for the heavy mahogany doors, a sealed piece of paper burning on his hand as if demanding to be opened and read immediately. He had a really bad feeling about it as it was. He knocked at the door and soon was allowed to enter. The doors were heavy and though they usually weren't hard for him to push open, on that moment they felt ominously heavy.

"Headmistress Martine? If I may." he said politely as he entered.

The headmistress was, as usual, buried under tall piles of papers awaiting her eyes and stamp. One usually wouldn't backpile so much at a time but the headmistress wasn't very fond of paperwork... And she took any available opportunity to postpone it further.

"Yes, Connor? Do you have something for me?" she asked, welcomed for the interruption.

"Headmistress." Conor started, "A message came from the capital." He said and handed the sealed piece of paper to Martine's curious hands.

"Hmm..." she let out as she broke the seal and examined the contents of the folded piece of paper.

Connor saw as curiosity turned to surprise, then a frown followed closely by apprehension. Finally, there was determination. Headmistress Martine opened a side drawer on her desk, pulling out a richly decorated silver box and an old-fashioned cigar lighter. She pulled a thick cigar from the box and lighted it, making rings with the smoke for a minute or so. When the cigar was about half way through, she picked up the letter she had rested in front of her and set it on a side ash tray and unceremoniously, put out the cigar on top of it. Instead of extinguishing it, the cigar lit the paper aflame where it remained burning till there was nothing but ash.

Connor saw the whole thing from his spot in front of the headmistress' desk, silent and still since he had not been dismissed yet. Martine sat staring at the burning paper and only when the flames died out did she raise her eyes, locking them on Connor's who she knew would still be there.

"Call the other high ranks to my office. Tell them the time as finally come. Handle it discreetly... For now" she told him without further explanations and started gathering the many papers in her desk and placing them to the side.

Connor saluted with his own apprehensive stance, turned and left the office leaving the headmistress with her tidying up.

End of Flashback

"What was in the letter?" Sorphan asked, voicing the others' thoughts and question.

Following a nod from the headmaster, he told them.

"The message relayed news of contact between president Deling and an unidentified sorceress. The note also mentioned their joined plan to conquer neighbouring nations."

Schala and some of the other SeeDs nodded. So that was how Headmistress Martine learned of sorceress Edea and her intentions.

"Who sent it?" Zanya asked in turn, having finished the hotdogs, even though she seemed to be continuing eating, the other food didn't held her attention as well as the bunned sausages, so she was actually paying attention.

"The information came from a trusted contact in the highest rankings of the Galbadian government." Connor provided and they needed little more to ascertain the contact's identity.

"Congresswoman Caraway." Schala spoke out loud this time, noting Rian tense at the mention of his mother's name.

It seemed like the congresswoman had been plotting with the local Garden for longer than just the sorceress' deal.

"That's correct."Connor continued, "That evening we started planning our offence. We knew whatever the sorceress and the president intended with this partnership, it wouldn't be good either for the Galbadia Empire or the other nations." He paused for a moment to let the information sink in his audience, "A mission to assassinate the sorceress was put on the table but we still had no idea when we would be able to enforce it since the knowledge of her whereabouts was unknown, even to our contact."

Connor shifted his eyes to focus on the Headmaster.

"Headmistress Martine wished to handle the affair without involving Balamb Garden at first." the room grew even more attentive, if that were possible, from the fact all but three SeeDs and their host were not part of the mentioned Garden." Headmistress Martine didn't want to be let known to Garden Master Norg of our intentions for he would undoubtedly try to prevent it or even betray us to protect his own life."

"He wouldn't even blink before presenting us to a firing squad." To this, Schala, Zanya and Headmaster Cid had no doubt, having witnessed firsthand that exact behaviour.

"But we still found out." Quentin remarked, looking around the table and elaborated "We were sent to Deling to ascertain rumours of a sorceress' involvement with the galbadian government..." He added, that being the mission who got both he and Seifer in Timber at the time of the president's visit and announcement, ultimately resulting in the other blonde's capture.

Quentin looked back at the headmaster and everyone else followed his gaze. He must have known too... Headmaster Cid took a moment of reflection before raising his eyes and gazing back at the infiltrated galbadian SeeD, his face betraying a sly smile.

"You shouldn't presume that Martine is the only one with contacts and spies in the Galbadian Capitol." He told them and to his credit, Connor seemed a little bit surprised to hear it."Nor does she. Martine knew she couldn't prevent me from learning about the appearance of a sorceress in Galbadia, she just worked to delay it enough to get her plans into motion." headmaster Cid stated to the lack of surprise of most even if not all of the room's occupants.

One doesn't achieve and maintain the position of headmaster of a military academy without his resources. And Cid Kramer had those a plenty.

"I kept it down as long as I could for the same reason Martine did, but when the rumours started to grow too assertive, I had to act..." he added and stopped talking, the room falling into a solemn silence which seemed to indicate the headmaster had finished.

There wasn't much more to tell on that matter anyways.

"But if you were planning and preparing for so long, why send us?" Sorphan pointed out to the realization of the rest of the room, that was a very good point to make.

Connor took a breath as he prepared to explain what happened.

"After the world wide broadcast, we learned that there would be a parade to introduce the sorceress personally to the world." He started, "We had been preparing an attack but at that moment we had a situation to take advantage of…"

Flashback

Connor stepped out of the third floor elevator, coming face to face with the renowned Quentin Trepe who apparently had just left the headmistress' council. They nodded at each other in manner of greeting but kept on each other's way.

Connor was once a class ahead of Quentin before he transferred to Balamb Garden to pursuit his more magical aptitudes. If he had remained at Galbadia, it was entirely possible he'd be the headmistress right hand man instead of himself. There were days where Connor was unsure of which one was best.

He stepped into the headmistress' chamber, finding her thoughtful by her desk. He stood there for a time, letting the head of Garden organise her thoughts.

"You've met the SeeDs. How did you perceive them?" she asked without raising her eyes from the battle plans in front of her.

Connor had to think for a moment on how to phrase it properly.

"Well," he started, "If you look past their fashion senses..." His mind wondered to the peculiar looking blonde girl in her loose shorts and tight top and high hair... certainly not a usual female sight.

"And their personality traits..." he added, his mind reverting back to the hall and the pure joyful cry by the same peculiar girl at the mention of food, "They look strong and well led." and he didn't necessarily mean the blond young man who had just left that office, who seemed like the most obvious conclusion.

Connor didn't fail to notice the look the other three members of the squad, after Quentin left, sent the brunette young woman with the raw taste for black leather. They were seeking her approval and she was able to transmit her decisions to them with a single glance or nod. If ever he had met a natural born leader, she was it.

The headmistress grew quiet once more, leaving Connor to wonder what was on her mind. Till he puzzled it out…

"Headmistress... You don't mean..." he started.

"I do." She replied, not needing to hear the rest of his question to give her response.

She finally raised her eyes to look back at him and he realised her decision had had a lot of thought.

"I honestly believe they are our best bet." she elaborated, though she didn't have to, "They have faced her once, they won't underestimate her. The plan is sound." she added, Connor unsure if she wasn't trying to convince herself alongside him.

Despite his thoughts, he nodded, then remembered.

"They don't have a sniper." he stated, not remembering seeing anyone in the party with the weapon corresponding to the necessary skills.

Martine frowned for a moment.

"We'll sent one of ours with them then." she replied. "Inara. She's currently the best sniper in the ranks."

Connor nodded, a small smile creeping into his lips for a moment despite the seriousness of the situation at hand.

"Second best, I'd say." he stated, drawing a shy smile which quickly turned into a proud one.

"Indeed."

End of Flashback

Schala lowered her eyes in thought of what the galbadian SeeD had just told them. She had only met the galbadian headmistress for no longer than five minutes and with Norg's words she had to admit, she had doubted the woman's intention on sending them to the field for such a high risk mission. However, she couldn't doubt his words, the trust, dedication and loyalty he seemed to have for the headmistress.

A not so small a part of her wondered if she would ever be able to inspire such trust...

"Headmistress Martine said it was a joined Garden's decision and attack." Sorphan started, seemingly paying apt attention, "but you said she didn't inform Balamb Garden of the sorceress or the assassination plan because of the Garden Master." he added, Zanya having updated them all on the events that had passed.

"She lied to us..." Zanya concluded, unusually more sad than angry.

If there was something that she, as a SeeD, believed she could always count on were her friends and companions either in a pinch or anything else. All of a sudden, she became aware of secrets and ploys and plots. As simple minded as she was, she couldn't help but feel slightly sad for seeing it was not such a close knitted family as she thought. That the Garden Master, Norg, hadn't just been the sole rotten apple but that it had spread.

Schala and Connor realised this more than some though not as much as her father who was suddenly and out of nowhere standing behind her, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. Connor wished he had been in the position of doing that himself...

"She might have bent the truth slightly, but it was certainly not a lie." Headmaster Cid stepped it, calling to him the attention of the room. "Me and Martine have discussed this matter at length on several occasions. Our job as SeeD is to eliminate the sorceress threat and prevent a Sorceress War, and every possible action must be done to this end." he looked at Zanya in particular, "I may have not been promptly informed but I guarantee it to you, Zanya. I would have supported it fully." he finished drawing a smile from the girl, suddenly back to her perky self.

Headmaster Cid's eyes then shifted to Schala, as he felt her gaze on him. He could almost listen to her thoughts as if she was speaking them out loud. Her question clear as the balambian coastal waters... _Would you have supported her fully if you knew it was your wife you were ordering us to assassinate in cold blood?_ But she had gotten her answer a few days ago, on the garden Infirmary. And that was a yes...

"What did the headmistress do when she learned we had failed?" Quentin asked somewhat reluctantly to their failure but refocusing Schala's attention on the long haired brunet young man.

"Well…"

Flashback

"Headmistress? Are you still up?" Connor asked over the heavy doors of the third floor's main chamber.

It was well past midnight and the Red Garden was the only source of light in the darkened Monterosa Plateau. Connor couldn't sleep without knowing how the mission had gone, and he suspected neither could the headmistress. Still, it was common courtesy to knock before entering a woman's chamber... Especially one with sniper training and a hunting rifle hanging on her wall...

"Who could sleep?" she replied, anxiety betraying in her voice. "Come in." he did so, finding he headmistress where he had last left her: behind her large desk.

"Any word from Deling?" she asked him as Connor approached her, his face was too serious for her comfort. "What is it?" he stopped and took a breath.

He never like delivering bad news but this was no time for hesitations.

"They failed. The sorceress still lives." he told her and her reaction wasn't at all as he would expected.

Despite the dedication she'd put into planning and the trust she had placed in the SeeDs she sent out, it seemed that deep within her she was always pondering on the possibility that it wouldn't be enough.

"Details?" Martine asked but he shook his head.

"There's none. That's all the message said." he informed her and she looked down in thought.

Connor didn't know what to think, except maybe...

"Headmistress, if..."

"If we had just sent one of our teams instead of the balambian SeeDs, the mission would have succeeded?" Martine finished his sentence for him, raising her eyes back at him. "I don't believe that."

Under Connor's questioning eyes, the headmistress stood from her chair and circled around the table.

"We've underestimated her, Connor. At least I did." she started, "I honestly believed it would have been enough, a hand full of people and a bullet..." she closed her eyes again, "I was wrong. She's too powerful for half measures and now she has the full force of the galbadian army at her disposal..." she opened her eyes and stared back at his, "Cid was right. He always said that only with the full force of SeeD could the sorceress threat be nullified, and I always dismissed him..."

"Headmistress..."

"Well, never to be said I don't learn from my mistakes." she started again suddenly, turning back to Connor with a new face, almost as it had been surgically altered for the difference it held.

All self pity and doubt and pain were gone, replaced by the unwavering determination and courage that made every single soul on that Garden look up to her.

"If it'll take the full force of SeeD to bring that bitch down, by Hyne, we'll give it to her." she returned to her desk, looking for some papers or maps, something...

Connor's eyes followed her, his flame rekindled by her fire.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Activate protocol zeta and evacuate the Garden of all non essential personnel." she didn't have to raise her eyes to see the question in his face, "If all able SeeD are needed for this, I have to make sure they're alive to take up arms. I'm sure the sorceress will be attacking this Garden soon, we must be prepared." she clarified and Connor nodded his understanding,

"Also, spread the word… we'll need volunteers to divert the attention from the evacuees, make sure they all make it out." he nodded, noting all too well her use of the word "we".

There was no way she would escape and leave others to fight for her, it was just the way she was.

"And get me Craig... I have a special assignment for him... Go!" she added, never leaving her preparations as Connor's departing salute went completely ignored before he left to do his headmistress' bidding...

End of flashback

Every person in the room, even non military, had to stop and admire that woman's valour and self sacrifice. To make sure of her SeeDs survival and the continuance of the fight against the sorceress, she stayed behind.

"In the end there were so many volunteers it jeopardised the safety of the evacuees, I was forced to order some out. Still, we were left to defend the Garden against an army and a sorceress with forty souls." Connor noted, seeing understanding in his listeners' faces.

For all points and purpose, it was a suicide mission…

"But you were able to evacuate everyone, right?"Sorphan wondered, the story reminding him of his own Garden in Trabia whose people were probably not as fortunate…

"About 160 cadets, SeeDs, juniors and garden personnel left the garden that night and following morning." Connor replied, "The galbadian armada reached our shores at noon minus a quarter. The soldiers attacked first…"

Flashback

"How many?" A tall man with pitch black emmo hair and dressed in the GalbadianSeeD uniform asked to the room filled with other people, some younger or older, either in SeeD or cadet uniform.

"All of them..." A cadet with tanned skin and ritual tattoos on his shaved head answered.

Some of the more carefree smiled though none dared laugh…

"No..." A red headed woman with short hair and thick glasses cut in with a pronounced frown, "Just about 5000 or so..." She added to which many rolled their eyes.

Putting a number on it didn't make them any less or their endeavour any easier.

"That makes it around… 100 to 1..." A SeeD with blond hair and a scar under his left eye remarked.

"More like 125 to 1" A female cadet with dark blond hair up in a messy bun replied, making her senior frown.

"Hardly seems fair..." The SeeD with the black hair commented, looking around a room, "For them" He added with a smirk to the growing cheerfulness of the room.

"Actually..." the headmistress's voice made all the rambling and boasting cease and all attention was focused on her as she stepped into the room with Connor by her side, "It'll be 41 against 5000. But they must not be aware of that." She added, pausing for a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention.

No one made a sound.

"Our 40 must look like 200 in their eyes. They can't know we've evacuated or they'll give chase before out people have time to go underground." She relayed and everyone understood.

The objective of their last stand was to make sure everyone else could escape safely, no matter what happened to them.

"41?" The cadet with the dark blond hair wondered, she knowing perfectly well there were only 40 SeeDs and cadets left.

The Headmistress smiled at one of her prized students. Neryn wasn't that good of a fighter, but she always paid apt attention to everything.

"We're releasing the Hound, he'll be the welcoming party." headmistress Martine said with a mischievous look and smirk, "They..."

"What's the Hound?"

End of Flashback

All attentions turned from Connor's tale to Sorphan and his interrupting remark.

"Sorphan, honey… You shouldn't interrupt." Inara pointed out, trying not to sound too upset.

She and everyone else were listening attentively but, unlike many others in the room, she knew exactly what the Hound was and thus was not affected by curiosity on that regard.

"But I don't know what this Hound thing is and how is it supposed to be a welcoming party…" Sorphan replied, folding his arms and staring back at Inara.

He really wanted to know and little could be done to dissuade him from pressing the matter.

"The Hound is a GF." It was Athema who spoke to clear the matters up quickly.

She too was interested in hearing the rest of Connor's relay of events.

The others all turned at her and the rest of the galbadian SeeDs who merely nodded in agreement. It was news for them that Galbadia Garden had a GF in their possession, even Quentin was unaware of this fact. The western Garden's main training focus was weapon specializations, mostly firearms and ranged battle.

"You guys have a GF?"Zanya asked, almost standing up from her seat, a fresh plate of hot-dogs in front of her.

"Well… kinda." Inara contributed.

"We captured it a couple of years back off the mountain ridge surrounding the Monterosa Plateau." Connor started again, "We usually keep it locked up in a chamber beneath the main hall and use it for high level training." He complemented.

"You don't try to junction him?"Zanya asked.

Balamb Garden had a couple of low and really low level GFs under their control for training purposes, but in addition to battle training they would also junction these GFs for enhanced ability training, not only magic and magical resistance wise but physical strength and agility. Having a GF at their disposal and not taking full advantage of its potential felt like such a waste…

"No, he… ahmm…" Connor started, unsure of how to phrase it properly.

"It doesn't like us very much…" Athema provided and Inara nodded in agreement.

After all, they kept it locked up and occasionally had some SeeDs or senior cadets go target practice on it… Not exactly the best way to make friends…

The Balambian SeeDs' expressions held no surprise for that last comment. GF, as far as they knew from their own personal experiences and relationships, were somewhat proud creatures. They shared their strengths with the one they junctioned to in exchanged of safety, but their opinions were voiced and, well, neither of the people in that room viewed them as prisoners… more like partners. Holding one in a cage felt cruel.

Inara stopped to think for a while. Sure, she'd had her share of target practice with the massive three headed dog and not for an instant thought of how he felt… Now, she couldn't help feeling guilty especially considering the good relationship she now held with the three entities sharing her mind. Though a bit frustrated with the way a fellow GF was being treated, the Brothers, as single minded as they were, never for an instant held it against her and Carbuncle, well he couldn't hold a grudge if someone stepped on his tail.

The most outraged in the group was probably Rian. Siren wasn't an aggressive presence in his mind and what they spoke of was nearing torture. Just because it wasn't human, it did not give them the right to treat it like that. Pops Dincht, however, held no reaction. If there was one thing that never surprised him, were the lengths of which military would go to get the upper hand.

"Luckily, he liked the soldiers even less.." Connor restarted, hoping to divert the attention away from something he suddenly wasn't very proud of either, especially after seeing the shock on the blonde SeeD's face, "They started firing on him the second they saw him and he reacted." He continued, "He must have taken out several hundreds of soldiers before he turned on us. We were forced to restrain him then…" He had to add, hoping it didn't rekindle their distaste.

"He turned on you?" Inara cut in with concern.

The Hound was prone to rather foul moods…

"Yeah, when the soldiers started surrounding him we started shooting them from the second floor." Connor elaborated. "His attacks damaged the balcony and some of us fell to the first floor…" He shared a look at Inara and then Athema… "He killed Kenny…"

Both young woman's eyes widened.

"That bastard!" Inara replied while Athema just stared.

Kenny had been an odd little guy, a cadet transferred from Trabia Garden. He always wore this thick orange winter pants and jacket with a fur lined hoodie, even in the Monterosa Plateau's scorching heat. Though odd, he was friendly and got along with everyone. Athema had even had a thing with him for a while… It was a heartfelt loss.

"What happened next?" Quentin asked to get the ball rolling again.

A loss of a companion was always hard, but there was time to mourn later and they needed to know what happened.

"We managed to defeat them all." Connor picked it up again, "We lost some good men and women, but managed to send them back with their tails between their legs." he added, showing some pride in the feat that 40 people and a seriously pissed off GF managed to resist an attack of 5000 soldiers.

His pride, though, quickly turned to apprehension and, with all eyes on him, it passed unnoticed by no one.

"After news of their defeat reached the front lines..." He paused almost for dramatic effect, "The sorceress and her knight stepped forward."

Flashback

"Connor!" Connor turned to the call, seeing Kari running at him full speed.

"Where is she?" he asked to the cadet who didn't bother to salute his senior.

There was no time to lose with silly formalities.

"The headmistress has engaged the sorceress on the west hall." she told him, "We have lost 5 more to her." she added, pushing the sadness of the loss behind her.

There would be plenty of time for mourning later... If she was alive for it. And if not, she would have only wasted her last minutes. Connor noticed this. Kari was one of the brightest and bravest cadets among all and the ones that had stayed behind, and was supposed to take the SeeD exam next turn. If they survived this, an immediate promotion would not be beyond her.

"Trip's team engaged the knight. They believe they have him cornered on the east hall." she added to her report.

To Connor the sorceress' matter and the headmistress' personal security was the most important thing. But he was nearer to the east hall and getting the knight might weaken his master. He had to try, but that didn't mean they could pull it off. He had to be prepared for the worst. He turned back to the young cadet.

"Kari, spread the word: we're implementing protocol Omega." Connor saw the girl's eyes widen in recognition and the implications it held and how she hesitated for only a moment.

"Yes sir." she replied, with a salute this time and darted off to obey his orders.

Connor nodded to her tenacity and started moving towards the east hall and the place most likely for Trip to try and trap the knight. He knew he was getting closer when the sounds of battle started ringing in his ears accompanied by several grunts.

He sped around the corner, finding himself suddenly on a scorched hallway with innumerable bullet holes and scratch marks on the walls, floors and ceilings. Following some moaning around a corner, Connor was shocked to see Trip, a senior SeeD and firearms instructor, face first on the floor.

"Trip!" he called out, kneeling near the man after a quick scan to the hall that only showed more severe damage, including on the fallen bodies of his comrades and soldiers'...

Or what was left of them...

"C... Connor...?" he wondered weakly, barely able to push his head from the floor, but he still tried to.

"Stay still. What happened?" he wondered, checking one of his side pockets for some potions while asking his question.

It seemed like a tornado had passed in between those walls...

"... T... Knight..." Connor frowned.

One man had felled so many of Galbadia Garden's top agents? More than being worried with just the sorceress, it seemed they had underestimated her puppet knight as well.

"…C… Be careful…" Trip managed to let out between sudden spits of blood that nearly drew him out of consciousness.

"Hang on, Trip!" Connor ushered him, finally getting those potions and readying himself to administer them.

As he was leaning his head back, the older man's fluttering eyes suddenly darted open in alarm and with the last of a strength he shouldn't have, Trip pushed Connor clear from him. Before Connor could tell what was going on, he saw a figure with a long grey coat kneeling near his fallen comrade, a dark blade stabbed straight through the man's heart. Were it not for the last second shove, Trip's dying move, Connor would be equally lifeless.

Recovering from the sudden action, Connor tore his eyes from the man who ultimately saved his life to look at his killer. The man in the grey long coat raised his blond head and stared back with dead sea-green eyes… and smirked. They both stared at each other, the blond as though he was sizing the other man up. Connor, he just got an incredibly evil vibe from those dead eyes... In an instant, the galbadian SeeD got to his feet and started running down the hall and in that same moment, the knight gave chase. Connor rushed around the corner, nearly stumbling to the ground. Heavy footsteps followed him but not as fast as he felt they could.

He was playing with his food.

Connor didn't mind for now, as long as it gave him long enough to reach the hall intersection. As they ran, Connor reached inside the large pouch he had hanging from his waist and strapped around his left leg like a holster and pulled out a long gun. He pressed a button and two arches snapped at either side, revealing a crossbow. He aimed back as the knight ran around the corner and pressed the trigger. The blond pursuer had to duck and roll and pull his gunblade in front of him to avoid the stream of bolts that flew at him, some of them making holes through his exposed long coat with one scraping his left leg, not even serious enough to be considered a flesh wound.

Even so, the knight didn't seem to like that as he sped up and was on Connor in seconds. He put the Auto-Crossbow away and had barely enough time to reach inside his pouch for another weapon when the knight was already swinging his blade at him. Connor pulled out his hand and the roaring sound of an engine echoed within those lean halls. Sparks and metal scrapings flied around them as the dark blade collided with the short conical Drill that Connor pulled out in the last second. The knight pulled back and swung his gunblade again but the SeeD's own weapon was always close to parry the blow, the spinning power able to deflect even the most powerful of strikes.

As much as Connor was able to defend against the knights dangerous swings, he knew the surprise stirred by his Drill was not to last forever. His right hand went to the second pouch on the back of his belt trying to get to something when a particular vicious swing threw him off balance and onto the floor. Connor still tried to raise his drill but from the ground his opponent had the upper hand. The knight raised his gunblade over his head for the final blow which never reached his target. The sound of metal against metal echoed in the hall and Connor's line of sight was suddenly filled with the crossing of two blades, a long thin and black one attached to a gun and a somewhat thick, long and curved other with a short handle held by a dark skinned hand with dark red painted fingernails.

"Kari?" Connor let out as the cadet kept the knight's blade away from the fallen SeeD's head.

Without a word, Kari twisted her blade forcing the knight to raise his and she swung wide, the knight having to leap back to avoid it. They continued to exchange blows, the teenage girl taking the offensive and the taller blond having to retreat a step on several occasions but being able to parry or otherwise defend her every strike.

As the battle progressed, the knight seemed to adapt to the girl's fighting style to the point his trademark smirk returned to his features. After a new exchange of blows, the knight managed to get a hold of the long scimitar and pulled the dark skinned girl closer so their faces were mere centimetres away from each other's, their blades clashing together between them.

"You know, you remind me of someone..." he commented, a small flicker reflecting in his paled eyes.

"You look nothing like her," he added with a laugh, his eyes never leaving her slightly violet ones, "but you have her spunk..."

He suddenly pushed back and the girl nearly went rolling into the ground. Their fencing skills could be close to matched, but in strength she was at a clear disadvantage. The knight charged and Kari barely had time to recover her balance before she was struggling to defend herself. The knight was ruthlessly attacking her and the advantage from the surprise attack had run its course. She wouldn't be able to resist for much longer. A particular vicious swing forced her back a couple of meters and the knight charged again when…

"Hey!"

Both fighters stopped in their tracks and focused on the man standing behind the girl, someone who in their confrontation, they had completely forgotten was even there...

"Listen to this..." Connor started, almost as if he was gonna try and reason with his attacker.

Only then did the knight notice the strange item in the brunet man's right hand. It looked like a canister with a buzzer and a mini megaphone, which he was aiming straight at him…

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EPPPP!" A deafening buzz echoed in the hall, nullifying every other sound that could possibly be being made. A bomb could be going off around them and they wouldn't hear a thing…

The two fighters nearly dropped their weapons as they raised their hands up to their heads, trying to cover their ears from that infernal sound. Kari stumbled and the knight nearly ran against the wall, the noise messing with their balance and general awareness of their surroundings.

"C'mon!" Connor called out as he grabbed Kairi's left arm and nearly dragged her out of the hallway, his right hand still holding down the trigger for the Noise Blaster as long as he figured they were still in range of the knights hearing.

It wasn't much, but hopefully it would delay him long enough so they could reach the headmistress and take refuge in the cafeteria. After a while, Connor released the trigger and pocketed his weapon in his tool belt. By then Kari, who started recovering her senses once she was no longer in the direct path of the noise maker, was running beside him. They both turned a corner steadily, heading for the west hall and the place where the confrontation with the sorceress was taking place.

They started hearing explosions and gunfire and as they turned a corner they saw the headmistress backing up on an intersection and halted for a moment.

"Headmistress!" Connor called out but she didn't seem to listen.

She had her rifle up and aimed and in a second which allowed for barely a reaction, the entire intersection was covered by flames that scorched the walls and… everything else…

"Martine!" Connor shouted as the two ran forward.

The flames receded and Connor knelt next to the headmistress fallen and somewhat scorched body, putting out the flames in her long dress. Kari knelt nearer to the intersection, peaking around it to see the situation of the adjacent hall. Connor turned the headmistress' body, seeing with relief that she was breathing and the fire seemed to cause merely superficial burns. It looked like Martine had collapsed to the side hall just as the flames burst through. She was luckier than the rest of her team down the hall, Kari noted.

As the smoke cleared, the dark skinned cadet noticed a darker shape walking almost leisurely towards them, as if no one could escape her so there was no need in running… She was probably right.

"She's still coming." She relayed as she turned.

Connor had already picked up the unconscious headmistress and flung her over his shoulder to carry her.

"Let's go!" He told her, "We need to reach the cafeteria!" He added and they both sprung into a run, Connor a bit slowed by the carried weight.

As they turned around an intersection which led to the cafeteria, they could hear the sorceress sliding more than walking behind them to which the sound of rushing heavy footsteps could be heard from the opposite hall. The knight was joining his mistress for the termination of SeeD. Without time to think or change of plans, Connor rushed into the cafeteria with Kari right next to him. They burst through the doors, closing and locking them behind them.

The hall grew silent apart from the sliding and the heavy booted footsteps. Even those ceased as Knight and Sorceress were reunited at the intersection. They both turned to the SeeDs' final destination. According to the layout of the Garden, the cafeteria on the south hall was a dead end. They were trapped.

"Foolish SeeDs…" Sorceress Edea let out as she raised her hand and fire started enveloping it.

Seifer smirked as he witnessed his mistress' actions and magic. The fire grew and grew into a giant fireball that scorched at the walls restricting it. She stretched out her hand and the fireball flew straight and towards the door of the cafeteria, the only last barrier between her and her prey.

The instant the fire reached those closed and locked doors, an explosion ensued, much greater than her fireball would have normally created. In addition to the sound which could have been heard from outside the Garden, the blast wave sent fire down the hall at intense speed and power, almost surprising the sorceress which reacted and pulled out a shield to protect herself and her knight…

End of Flashback

"What happened?" Zanya asked as it seemed for a rather dire turn of events and, from what he said happened, it was hard to conceive how he was standing in front of them unharmed.

"Protocol Omega." Inara provided, removing her hand from over Sorphan's mouth where it had been since nearly the beginning when the protocol was first mentioned.

She didn't want him to interrupt as she sensed he would when he opened his mouth upon hearing it. He didn't struggle for his release since the story regained his interest at the time.

"What is Protocol Omega?" Schala was the one to ask, surprisingly enough as she had remained silent throughout Connor's story.

"Protocol Omega is the last resort on an invasion/ occupation scenario, to ensure the survival of the last remaining SeeDs and Cadets." Connor started again, preparing to elaborate, "It consists on the apparent retreat to one of three secure areas within Garden: the cafeteria in the south hall, the gymnasium in the east hall or the training centre on the west hall. All three appear to be dead ends but in fact there are hidden secret passageways that lead to underground tunnels where we take refuge till a time comes we may resurface." He explained.

When he called for its application, Connor would have personally preferred to use the training centre passageway. Releasing the monsters would help instill chaos but they had already gathered the injured SeeDs and Cadets from the initial assault in the cafeteria for treatment and it was better to move them out the shortest distance possible. Relative positioning had also been a factor. Since the Sorceress and Knight attacked through the sides, the east and west rooms could more easily become compromised which would harm the proper application of the protocol.

"But... The explosion..." Sorphan started and it was Inara who answered.

"Part of Protocol Omega is to have the "secure areas'" only apparent entrance rigged with explosives" She explained, "The last one in locks the door forcing their pursuers to force them opened, which triggers the explosives and cover the escape."

"The explosion is usually just for show." Athema picked it up, "It's more flame than fire, a flash fire that does little structural damage but puts on quite the show."

"The intention is that it makes seem the runaways were burned, so in addition to the SeeDs and cadets in hiding, we gathered the bodies of our fallen comrades and stripped a few soldiers even to make it seem the explosion caught us all and there were no survivors." Connor finished it.

The room fell silent in thought as they registered the characteristics of this strange, and at the same time somewhat desperate and ingenious plan none of the other Gardens had in place.

"And they fell for it?" Zanya wondered for lack of a comment for what she had heard.

Connor smiled back at her.

"They didn't chase us further, so I can only assume they did." He told her. "By then the sorceress and knight had probably already figured out we were just a decoy and that most personnel had been evacuated so the bodies they found in the scorched cafeteria were enough to convince them the rest of us were dead.

"And by then, for as long as we managed to distract them, all evacuated SeeDs and cadets were safe in hiding." He added, "Overall, our mission was a success."

"What about the headmistress?" Quentin asked, "She had a known face, surely she would be identified among the remains as not being there." he wondered.

Headmistress Martine had quite the unique classic dressing style which would be hard to oversee. Connor seemed to hesitate for a moment as if he wasn't absolutely proud of his deeds.

"We dressed up one of our fallen cadets who had a striking resemblance with the headmistress, her hair, body built and complexion, with one of the headmistress's dresses." He hesitated for a moment, "Neryn."

Athema sucked in a breath between her teeth. She was good friends with Neryn as they had been roommates before she passed the SeeD exam and Neryn didn't. Even so, they remained friends and with her help, it was looking up for this next upcoming exam... She would have made a good SeeD.

"You did what you had to do." It was headmaster Cid who reassured the galbadian SeeD and it meant more than Connor would admit out loud.

More than if it were any of the others since it would have come from sympathy and not actual facts... Well, maybe not more than if it had come from one other particular member of his audience.

"So you guys went into hiding." Headmaster Cid asked as to defuse the dark setting it had presented from the loss of friends and, do some extend, family.

And they would undoubtedly not be the last...

"Yes." Connor replied, happy for the topic change. "The MD level of Galbadia Garden is large and has many rooms, some of which can only be accessed through very specific ways. We hid in one, confident that even if soldiers found an access to the underground level, they would never find that room.

Schala pondered. G-Garden was also mobile, so it would stand to reason a similar device as Balamb Garden's, including an extensive underground system. Connor's face became serious once more as he continued.

"I confess, our confidence in our safety faltered slightly when suddenly several teams of Shinra engineers started to poke around down there..."

Flashback

"Bring that over here." A man in a lab coat called out to a couple of soldiers who seemed to be carrying a rather large and heavy case, "And be careful with those, the apparatus is very sensitive and costs more than you could earn your entire life!" he added upon seeing the box wavering.

Another man in a lab coat joined him but they talked too low for Connor to be able to listen from his position, and that would be practically hanging from the ceiling crossed beams straight on top of them.

"What are they doing?" Kari whispered as low as she could and still have the SeeD hear her.

Connor thought for a moment. He'd come investigating when their lookouts reported movement in the lower levels. Soldiers patrolling was one thing, scientists and engineers was another much more concerning one. If they poked around too much they might figure out there should be a room in the place where the SeeDs and cadets were hiding. And that would be bad...

However, once he'd started surveying, he quickly realized that they weren't there for them. They seemed to be focusing on a series of consoles and handles which had been sealed by the original engineer team who worked on making the old abandoned shelter into the Garden.

"I don't know..." He replied to all truth.

Connor remembered exploring the secret passageways and MD level when he first came to Garden little under ten years ago. Headmistress Martine caught him there near the consoles and when he asked her what they were for, she replied the same way he just did. The engineers that had first worked on Garden had tried to make sense of them but achieved nothing till it was the headmistress' idea to seal them up for security purposes.

Connor looked down below and adjusted his position. The knight had just entered the room and was talking to who seemed to be the lead scientist. He didn't look pleased with whatever he heard and Connor thought it best to fall back for now. They weren't after them, that was the most important thing for now. Whatever that mechanism was and whatever it did, he'd just have to wait to find out.

He signalled Kari to fall back, not risking making a sound as to not get the knight's attention. Scientists were one thing, trained warriors were another and the knight was strong to the point he could be able to become aware of their presence at the slightest of sounds. For that reason, their fall back was also performed with increased care, making sure they wouldn't slip or make any matter of sound navigating the high beams. They climbed down a rig well away from the knight and scientists' location only worrying about the wondering patrols.

Off the platform they went near a wall, pressing against it in two places so a hidden panel appeared. Pressing a few buttons, the wall opened beside them and they immediately got inside, looking around once more to make sure they weren't seen. Once inside, they turned left then right following the thin corridor. They turned left at an intersection and then right at the next. A couple more intersections later, they reached a dead end on which, after pressing the wall on two other different places, a new panel arouse asking for a new code Connor proceeded on inputting.

One would think that such severe and intrinsic security measures bordered on paranoia, but truth was it was such thoughts that had made the Headmistress develop and implement protocol Omega which had undoubtedly saved every last one of the SeeDs and Cadets left within Galbadia Garden.

Connor and Kari entered the room which was pitch black, the only light coming from the opened door behind them which quickly closed. The sound of readying guns echoed around them in the dark but they remained calm and quiet.

"It's alright, lower your weapons." A voice spoke out, "It's just Connor and Kari." he added as someone turned on the lights.

The pair was indeed surrounded as 4 SeeDs and cadets stood around them with weapons at the ready. The man who spoke, a blond with a scar under his eye and his arm in a sling was holding a strange looking pair of binoculars on his free hand. He had taken off the night vision goggles before the lights had gone back up.

"Better safe than sorry." He added as everyone stood down, their eyes confirming what the other man had claimed.

"Indeed, Flynt." Connor replied with a nod

"What do you mean _just Kari_?!" Kari began in a half teasing tone but Connor cut off their building confrontation.

"Anything to report?" He asked the other man.

"Nothing of note so far." Flynt replied before elaborating, "Jess and Norm aren't back yet. And..." he paused for a moment, "…she's awake.

Connor nodded, mostly to that last piece of information. He moved past the guards, who had already stood down, and headed towards the bedding area where most of the injured were resting and recovering. Headmistress Martine had been unconscious ever since he had picked her up from the sorceress' attack on the Garden's hallway. The witch's last fire attack had burned the headmistress slightly on her right shoulder and a bit more severely on her right leg, and the fall had given her a mild concussion. Apart from potions and low level healing spells, they had placed a cast over the damaged leg and wrapped up her banged up arm and head.

She kinda looked like half a mummy.

When Connor entered the room, he was most surprised to see her actually sitting up on the bed instead of up and about. She looked at him when he entered, her eyes serious but otherwise unreadable and Connor approached her slowly as if she was an injured mountain lion ready to strike out on feeling threatened. He stopped at the end of her bed and said nothing, not even doing a salute while waiting for her to speak first. He wasn't sure if she was mad at him or not... He supposed he'd soon find out...

"You ran Omega without my say so." Were the first words she told him, her tone equally serious to her face but there was no recrimination or accusation.

"Yes, I did." He replied calmly.

She stared at him for a very long while... Till she finally sighed and closed her eyes.

"You did a good job." She eventually remarked, "The sorceress is indeed powerful. No wonder Inara failed." She felt the need to add.

"Headmistress..." Connor started but she waved his words off.

"What is done is done, we'll do better next time." She said out loud. "Good job... Keeping us alive so we have that opportunity." she added, bringing a smile to both their faces.

The cheerfulness was, however, short lived as her blue eyes went around the room.

"What did I miss?" She asked him and his amusement was also gone with the wind.

"Little over a dozen of our people made it." Connor informed, not missing her apprehensive frown as he continued, "We have six injured, three of which severely... We had to amputate Gerard's leg and Patricia is likely not to make it through the night..." He informed her with great sorrow she didn't let show upon hearing it.

"What about the soldiers? What are they doing?" She inquired.

As far as bases went, Galbadia Garden was a large and imposing one, however it all depended on what you'd want to do with it. Sure, defeating the SeeDs in their own home was proof to the world of the sorceress' strength and ruthlessness, but Martine refused to believe that so many of her people had died for the sorceress to make a stand. There had to be something else she was up to...

Connor nodded before relaying what little he knew.

"The soldiers have occupied the Garden and brought in Shinra engineers to the MD level." Connor noticed the headmistress sitting straighter and immediately proceeded in reassuring her. "They don't seem to be here for us. All the men and resources seem to be focused on the consoles and panels that were sealed up over ten years ago." He clarified at which point the headmistress' concern turned to curiosity.

Whatever those things did, she had never been able to figure out.

"Cid was obsessively convinced that there was some sort of mechanism in these old centraian shelters, but we never figured out what ours did and neither he nor Albert ever found a corresponding set on their respective Gardens. "She commented.

Well, Trabia Garden had something of a device which rose walls over the sides of their Garden as added protection against avalanches, but even if Galbadia Garden had a similar device it would be rather useless against such an invasion.

_Trabia and Balamb Garden... I wonder if they have not fared better than we have..._

"Have they found anything?" She wondered.

"Not as of yet. They are bringing in a lot of equipment, but to what purpose I cannot begin to fathom." He clarified... or didn't, really, "Jess and Norm are out to find out more." he suddenly added, "They sneaked into the locker rooms and stole a couple of soldier uniforms. They are due back shortly. Perhaps they can shed some light on their intentions."

"I'd say, not the most honourable ones." A voice sounded behind him making both he and the headmistress turn to face the speaker.

He was wearing the Galbadian soldier uniform apart from the helmet he was undoubtedly forced, and at the same time happy, to remove so that his companions didn't shoot him once he entered the secure area. He had a Latino look about him, bronze skin, dark hair and eyes and his accent pressed on the "r's".

"What have you got, Norm?" Connor asked, recovered from his sudden appearance.

"They are either up to no good or a bit on the crazy side." The young man commented, sitting down at the edge of the headmistress's bed before continuing, "They are stockpiling supplies as if they're expecting a siege. Five thousand men on board and another equal amount is expected any moment now. They are bringing in vehicles and catapults... It's as if they are expecting the war to come to them."

Connor and Martine exchanged a look. That was certainly quite the peculiar behaviour.

"What about the Shinra people?" Connor wondered, "Any idea of what they are doing down here?"

"No idea." Norm admitted, "Jess was supposed to try and investigate on that end while I snooped about the soldiers. You probably saw her among them up on your perch." he added.

And it was probably true. Jess was a big woman and already was she often confused with being a guy in ordinary situations. Under the guise of the military uniform, she would easily pass by one of them.

"She's a bit late checking in..." Connor let out to all truth.

The girl was usually punctual, but if one could say something about undercover assignments, they not always fall into the handler's schedule...

"I'm sure she just..." Norm started but stopped suddenly, almost jumping from atop the bed. "Did you feel that?" he wondered.

Connor and Martine frowned as they didn't know what he was referring to.

"I could have sworn by my comic book collection, the ground just shook."

"We are not in an earthquake area." Connor commented with a raised eyebrow, "It must have just been your imaginatioo-..." added but interrupted himself as he felt it that time.

The ground shook tremendously accompanied by a loud rumbling that just kept getting louder by the moment.

"What is going on?" headmistress Martine asked, jumping off of bed and nearly falling on the ground out of weakness from her injured leg.

Fortunately Connor was there to support her. Other patients weren't as lucky as they fell from their bunks along with the few supplies they had on shelves around the room. The few able personnel, including Norm, immediately rushed to their aid but whatever was happening out there, it was shaking the very foundation of Garden. The rumbling and tremors lasted for several minutes till they seemed to calm down. The sounds were then replaced by a humming seeming to come from somewhere below their position.

But as far as any of them knew, there was nothing else under them.

The SeeDs and cadets that could walk were helping the injured back into their beds when someone burst into the room. Everyone, able or not, rose to arms against the large intruder in galbadian uniform who barely had time to raise arms and cry out.

"Wait, it's me! It's Jess!" She said and as many recognised her voice and lowered their weapons, she raised her hands slowly to her face to remove her stolen helmet for the more suspicious ones who maintained their weapons trailed on her.

Only once the removed helmet revealed a head of short, practically army shaved, light brown hair and a hard shaped face with a crocked nose and big dark green eyes were all of them convinced and every weapon was put away.

"Jess!" Connor called out as the large woman turned to him, noticing the headmistress leaning against her bed where he had left her, "What was that shaking? What happened out there?"

The large woman shook her head.

"It's not just out there, it's everywhere..." She informed rather cryptically, "Everything, Galbadia Garden, the grounds... It all rose up into the air."

"It did what?" Kari asked, having joined them during the commotion, "What do you mean: _it all rose into the air_?

Everyone stared at her, anxious for her reply.

"I mean..." She paused to catch her breath, "I mean... We're flying..."

End of Flashback

Connor paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in, though he didn't think it would take them long. Every single one of them had already seen Galbadia Garden flying over Balambian shores.

"And you were also able to activate your own Garden's device." He said more than asked since everyone had also seen Balamb Garden's mighty flying entrance earlier that day.

"Yes, indeed..." The headmaster commented, taking off his glasses to clean them, "But the credit of finding and activating the device falls on Schala. Her team is the one who went below Garden and managed to make it work."

Connor was surprised that the now Commander was so much more resourceful than she had already led on. The team of engineers that fixed the Garden and headmistress Martine herself had been unable to make it work after months of trying and this young woman managed to do it in a matter of hours...

"Hey, me and Xu helped out too!" Zanya felt the need to add though her participation was solely on matter of fighting and turning a particularly stuck valve.

When they got to the control platform, she had turned towards Schala to solve it... Thinking back on it, none of the girls knew what they were doing... Surviving the missiles and saving the Garden was accomplished through sheer luck...

Connor couldn't help to smile at the blonde girl's comment despite his questions. And there was also the matter of...

"But how did you power it?" He asked under the suddenly confused eyes of his peers, "Later we heard from the Shinra people that the main problem to activate the device was that it was lacking a power source. From the moment the ring starts spinning, motion is self sustained but the transformation of the Garden and the navigation system require a huge amount of power to function... How did you...?"

One of the things the scientists and engineers had brought in to the MD level was an experimental portable fusion generator which had barely been enough to jump start the device and trigger the transformation. As far as Connor was aware, they took no such apparatus on their underground excursion.

"Hmm... Must have been the oil." Zanya concluded, elaborating as she detected curious looks, "We found a massive oil stratum beneath the Garden. It should still be onboard the mobile version" she concluded, "There must have been some kind of generator down below prepared to consume that type of energy for the "jump start"." she added with a proud smile for being the first one to reach that sound conclusion and transmit it out loud.

"Well, we certainly don't have one of those at Galbadia Garden." Inara commented with a smile.

Which was why they never got the Garden to move, Connor supposed. They had tried to attach a generator to it at one time but it probably didn't have the necessary power to activate it.

"Where did you go?" Quentin asked to get back on track after that matter had been cleared.

They had been at it for hours and were very easily sidetracked. This was information they needed to try and figure out the next move, both the sorceress's and theirs...

"Well, we got a couple more uniforms and spread around the Garden to gather intel." Connor continued, "Our first stop was the harbour town of Dakar. The soldiers disembarked and turned the town upside down looking for this girl, Ellone. But they never found her..." Connor paused for a moment.

Though he spoke more towards the headmaster, his eyes often scanned the room and he detected something in several pairs of eyes at the mention of Ellone... Recognition. Just about everyone seemed to know who this girl was or at least something about her. The headmaster more than most, if Connor's people reading skills were correct, though Schala had a complacent look about her as well. He was particularly surprised to see something in Inara about this, something different than the others...

The sharpshooter was rethinking all her previous thoughts about Ellone. She had heard the name often during their own infiltrated times abroad the Mars and she had her suspicions that the Ellone the galbadians and the sorceress were looking for, was Sis. That suspicion only grew when she heard Zanya's recollection of events and how "Edea's" White SeeD had come for her. She even had wondered if the little girl in the strange dream she had on her way to the desert prison was her as well, though why she would dream of Sis before hearing of her for so long was beyond her understanding...

Connor detected her focus and immediately assumed she knew something, something that was entirely possible no one else was aware. The matter of Ellone and why the sorceress wanted her seemed to be extremely complex, much more complicated that he had presumed it was. For that reason, Connor decided to let it slide for the time being. This was his debriefing not theirs, and there would be time to clear that matter. Right now, his story took priority.

"As we left the harbour town, the soldiers burned it to the ground..." He added

"That's what they tried to do in FH." Zanya commented.

"And what they were planning on doing here in Balamb town." Quentin added.

"Indeed." Conner confirmed it from what he had heard aboard the soldier infested Galbadia Garden, "In Dakar we picked up two teenagers who seemed to be friends with the knight…"

"Raijin and Fujin, right?" Sorphan said more than asked.

"Yes." He confirmed it, "After they came on board something changed." He started again, regaining everyone's attention to his story.

"The Sorceress' initial orders were to go to every harbour town to search for that girl. However, after those two came on board she made a beeline for Balamb Island."

The Balambian SeeDs and headmaster frowned.

"They must have told Seifer we warned Garden about the missiles and were evacuating." Schala provided, still and being the only one standing.

"She must have wanted to confirm we were hit…" Zanya stated…

"And start the hunt for the evacuees…" Inara added.

By then Sorceress Edea must had already figured out that most of Galbadia Garden personnel had evacuated previous to her attack. Though she might had expected that, Balamb Garden evacuating was probably not in her plans. The blitz attack with the missiles was supposed to catch the SeeDs off guard as to get rid of most of them without much trouble. This was certain to throw a pebble onto her pond.

"What happened when you got here?" Rian asked before any of the SeeDs had the chance to.

Flashback

"What news?" Headmistress Martine asked as Connor and Norm stepped out of the security entrance half dressed in soldier uniforms.

The headmistress had been up and about for a day or so despite recommendations. It's not as if they had a doctor on call or anything remotely resembling one, but considering her injuries, she had to take it easy. The SeeDs were having moderate success in keeping her like that.

"The Garden is gone." Norm informed.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Kari asked, standing near the beds.

She had been attending to the injured and helping out on the patrols since she was too short to wear and pass by as a soldier without attracting too much attention to herself.

"Destroyed?" Martine asked though from the lack of alarm in the SeeDs, she already suspected that wasn't the case.

"No, it's just gone." Norm added.

"There is no debris, just a crater on the site." Connor provided, "I guess they were able to make their Garden mobile before the missiles hit."

It was the only logical explanation with what they knew. Even if a full barrage of missiles had hit the mark, it would still have resulted in an extensive debris spread, and there was absolutely nothing on the grounds surrounding it.

"These are good news." The headmistress let out with controlled relief.

If the Garden had been able to move before the missiles hit, that mean that her plans for a full SeeD on Sorceress attack was still on the table.

"But where are they?" Kari wondered.

The SeeDs and Cadets listening all shook their heads. They had absolutely no way of knowing that.

"Wherever they went..." The headmistress started, "They are bound to return to the island." She added.

Martine knew that Cid, despite everything one might think, was nothing but loyal. He was sure to come back to check on the island that harboured him for so long. And when he did, she had to be prepared...

"And we will be expecting him." She commented.

"We will?" Connor wondered and Martine focused solely on him as if she was waiting for someone to speak up...

Or volunteer, he realised with a cringe.

"You will." she started, "Connor, you're going ashore with the soldiers once we return to town. I don't know what the sorceress is planning, but you'll go into town and hide out, wait for Balamb Garden or any SeeD to return."

Connor nodded, resigned. He should have seen that coming.

"And when they do?" He asked.

"When they do, you talk to Cid." She told him, "You tell him that the SeeDs from the Red Garden still live, that he can gather them up inside the Blue, that all SeeDs must come together to attack the sorceress and eliminate the threat once and for all." she paused as the entire secure area stopped to hear her talk, mesmerised by her words, "You tell them that when they strike, we will be there!"

End of flashback

Inside Pops Dincht's kitchenettes, the SeeDs reacted the same way. The Headmistress's words ringing in their ears. It was a call to arms for every SeeD. The time to fulfil their destiny was at hand.

"What is your answer?" Connor wondered as the silence stretched without a reaction.

Cid was pensive for a while, weighing the situation. He had already called for arms though at the time it was solely as far as Balamb Garden was concerned. Still, the matter concerned all of SeeD and the headmistress of Galbadia Garden had just seconded his position and decision. The dice were rolling, but the final word was not up to him, his actions in Balamb Garden two days ago had made it so.

"To mobilise the entire SeeD force against a common foe..." He started. "That is no longer my call to make." He added and in that moment all eyes that were focused on him were instead focused on the brunette young woman in denim...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"We're running out of tables..." Sue commented, folding her arms on the drafty Balamb Garden parking lot, formerly dubbed "Marina" and now the test site for a gravitational lift.

Tests which thus far had yet to prove successful…

"It was only 20 metres this time." Bertrand, the FH engineer replied as he fumbled around the controls and circuitry.

Sue rolled her eyes. Mark had left her in charge of looking after their new resident mad scientists as they tried to figure out the output, input strain, power relay... whatever they needed to do to the Dark Matter in order to stabilise the gravity pull differential so they could use it to lower and/or raise items and/or people into and out of Garden. Something harmless was chosen as a test subject and now they were running out of tables in the cafeteria...

"The gravity flux is stable enough..." Roberts let out, talking to himself as Sue had noticed early on, he was prone to, "The problem is the targeting... We lose the hold at a certain distance..." he stopped as he tried to figure it out.

Then he suddenly stopped and raised his head, turning his eyes towards his fellow engineer, eyes wide in understanding and Bertrand's mouth opened as if he had read the answer straight from the other man's mind.

"The desks are too small!" They shouted in unison.

"Small?" Sue wondered out loud.

Sure they weren't the size of the headmaster antique oak desk which easily weighted half his weight, but after carrying almost a hundred of them across the halls, she wouldn't say they were "small"…

"The lift works with gravity effect on a body..." Roberts started.

"Since the desks are relatively small, the gravity pull of the Dark Matter loses sight of the objects and surrender them to the effects of the planet's gravity." Bertrand added

"We need something with a larger mass so our gravity pull doesn't lose to the planet's and we can fully control the rate of descent." Roberts finished explaining…

…Which didn't clear matters for just about anyone in their audience. Most of the SeeDs and cadets only stared at them as if they were speaking ?, might as well for what they understood from any of it…

"The mass of an object shouldn't affect the gravity range" One of the cadets behind Sue, Ori, wondered, "The Gravitational force is described by: mass times height times "g", an acceleration constant dependant on the gravitational pull. If you're comparing the gravitational influence of the Dark Matter with the planet's, the mass of the object being constant can be scratched from the equation. Using a heavier object won't change the outcome." he added.

Everyone just stared at the dark skinned cadet, more than half not fully understanding what he was babbling about. Ori had aced Physics, while most, well... Let's just say didn't. But from his technical speech, there was one thing that they did understand and that was the implication that changing the weight of the test subjects wouldn't make much of a difference.

"That is true." Bertrand replied a bit surprised at the young man's knowledge.

He turned to the galbadian engineer who was staring back at the kid. He wasn't just another jarhead, this kid was bright… and Roberts was just thinking about how he could use that unexpected knowledge.

"You are absolutely right, but that's not out main problem." Roberts eventually replied, "Come here and look at this." He told him, seeming to finally have found a use for him.

Ori, after a quick glance at the SeeD in charge, who not knowing exactly what was going on merely shrugged, approached the console adapted from one of the personal computers of the second floor classrooms where the former Shinra engineer had made the main controls for the gravity transport. The console itself was barely recognizable. It had extra screens with charts and power level readings, one had a working equation and another with heat levels and a targeting input… This was certainly no shabby service…

"See this?" Roberts snapped his observations by pointing at the screens showing power levels, "This is the power we are currently drawing from the Dark Matter to connect with the desks as we throw them overboard."

Ori noticed the power outage was stable and about half the level range measurable by the console.

"And this is the targeting system for the things we throw." Roberts continued, drawing the young man's attention to the other screen, "This is the replay for the last test. As you can see, we lose track of the desk about 20 metres off the ground." He added as they saw it happening on the screen, "We just stop seeing it."

Ori frowned. It seemed that after a certain distance, the desk just got out of range of the scans.

"Now our problem here is: we need to keep track, we need to see what we are pulling or pushing using the gravity flux so we can adjust the Dark Matter output accordingly." Roberts pointed out, looking to the first screen, "We can't just crank it all the way up, the pressure from the gravity field would crush anything being transported and we wouldn't want that happening with people…"

No, no one would want that…

"We need something with a larger mass to create an energy output template for transportation we can later use according to the mass transported." Bertrand suddenly said, having approached their position as the other engineer explained the situation.

"Hmm…" Ori let out, registering all the information.

"So, what do you need…?" Sue cut in the technical chitchat which was starting to give her a headache... about a half an hour ago…

"Well…" Bertrand started, seeing Roberts hadn't been thrilled by the interruption, "First we need to tune some of these calculations…"

"I can help with that!" Ori immediately volunteered and by the expressions of the two engineers, they were hoping he would.

"Then, all we need is something bigger to regulate the output…" Roberts picked it up, suddenly looking around the room, "That would work." He added, looking at something past the black haired SeeD.

Sue followed his gaze along with just about everyone else, and frowned. There was nothing in the direction the foreign engineer had signalled... Well, nothing apart from the Iron Clad, that was.

"No way!" She replied as she turned back to face him, her hands on her hips. "Do you know the amount of trouble we went through to get that thing inside here? The FH people broke a crane trying to lift that up. We had to bring if through the Quad and I have a feeling there was even some structural damage on the edge..." she added.

Manoeuvring it inside the halls of Garden had been no picnic either...

"There's no way in Hyne's holy buttocks that I'm letting you throw it of a 50 metre height in an unstable gravity lift!" She emphasized.

However, Roberts wasn't so easily deterred.

"Well, unless you allow for human testing, we'll have to find something!" He put in, even though they were far from reaching that stage... without making a mess, that was…

Sue and many behind her cringed at the mental sight of the state any human would be in after such a drop. If only they had the Commander on board with Diablos on call it was one thing, but that not being the case there was no way she was going to permit that!

"That's kinda going from 0 to 60, no?" She pondered.

Going from something too light to the heaviest mobile thing inside Garden was a bit too high of a leap. Not to mention the heavy armoured vehicle could prove useful in future military encounters.

"I told you, we need something bigger to calibrate the targeting system." Roberts insisted.

"Out of the question!" Sue said and that was the end of the discussion.

Roberts scoffed. Sure, he'd been the one to fix the Iron Clad in the first place and, although he had this new and more interesting project at hand, he wouldn't like to see his previous work scattered in pieces throughout the Balambian otherwise grassy plains. Still, he wanted to get the gravity lift working and there was nothing else...

"How about that one?" Bertrand asked as everyone focused on him before focusing on whatever he was pointing at in the dark reaches of the garage.

Roberts' eyes squinted as he tried to make out the mentioned item shrouded in darkness. It looked like... An old Cadillac, straw coloured with dark metallic rims. It was, in his opinion, the pinnacle of Galbadian automobilistics, a vintage classic car.

"Where did that come from?" He wondered since he hadn't notice the car there ever since he came to work on the lift.

It was a bad habit, whenever he got to working on something that interested him, he rest of the world could just disappear... He wouldn't even notice.

"That's been here all this time." Ori replied, lifting his eyes from the equations on the screen in front of him.

He was slightly surprised by the lack of attention of a man who seemed actually pretty hung back on details...

"I was under the impression that all vehicles were used in the evacuation." Roberts pointed out not only, but also to divert the attention from his lack thereof.

"All _able_ vehicles, yes." Sue replied looking back on the automobile in question. "That's Headmaster Cid's personal car."

Sue turned her eyes away from the car and focused them on the engineer as she explained the situation, not missing a meaningful glance at the dark skinned cadet who was suddenly no longer interested in the car, his full attention seemingly back on the formulas.

"A couple of weeks ago a couple of cadets took it for a joyride..." she added, her eyes finding the young cadet once more. "They blew the transmission and we had to tow it back in. We were still waiting for the pieces to fix it when everything happened..."

As hinted, Ori had indeed something to do with the little carjacking scenario. Though he wasn't the one driving and hence, breaking it, he had been the one responsible for the jumpstart. A ways to blow out some steam before the SeeD exam. Sue and the disciplinary committee suspected his involvement but fortunately for him, he was never caught or found enough evidences to link him without question to the incident. If they had, he would have never been allowed to take the SeeD field test… for all good that did him anyways…

"So we can use it." Roberts beamed, ignoring or merely disregarding the young man's participation.

"I don't know..." Sue hesitated.

It was the headmaster's car after all... If anything else happened to it on her watch...

"Whatever _minor_ damage it may suffer, I'll fix it." Roberts pointed out, "I'll even fix the transmission, no cost. It'll be as good as new."

Sue looked back at him, doubt clear in her eyes. She didn't even have to voice them though as the galbadian engineer read them straight from her brain.

"I'm confident that with the car, being heavier and bigger, we'll be able to maintain sight on it and keep it at a steady flow and rate of descent." He reinforced, "Theoretically, the science is sound."

Sue looked back at Ori, the resident physics' man at Garden. The cadet merely shrugged his shoulders, his determination faltering in face of the other man's. The SeeD then looked at the FH engineer and his reply came in the shape of an enthusiastic nod. She sighted out in defeat.

"Fine." she resigned herself.

Resisting a "yippee!", Roberts started instructing the help to bring the broken automobile so that he could, putting it very simply, throw it overboard. Sue watched from her position as all hands on deck, the car was in place in just a few minutes while the two mandate scientists, and his newfound assistant, were working the controls.

_I sure hope this works..._ She thought to herself. _Or the headmaster might very well demote me... Or worse, Mark will never let me hear the end of it..._

"Ok, all systems go!" Roberts beamed, calling all onlookers' attention to the car and the device.

"Punch it!" Bertrand supported him and so he did, always mindful of the gauges and levers.

Controlling the Dark Matter gravity flow from behind the consoles, Roberts raised up the old Caddy and moved it over the opening, or as some had named it, the big hole on the floor. Everything seemed to be going well, the flux was steady as was the rate of descent.

"40 metres." Bertrand informed, giving detailed 5 in 5 metres report.

"35 metres."

"30 metres."

"25 metres."

The audience drew in a breath as the previously achieved height was reached. If it passed this threshold, it would mean their theory was verified and the lift could finally work. Roberts double checked everything, convinced roughly 85% that it would work without a singe.

"23 metres... 22... 21..." Bertrand continued steadily and expectantly. This could finally work...

Roberts was checking the readings when suddenly...

"Oops..." he let out not too loud but certainly enough for Sue to hear.

"What do you mean: "Oops"...?" The curly black haired young woman let out not without a trace of panic.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Somewhere beneath Balamb Garden's flying form, under the constant humming of the circling golden ring that echoed from the nearby snow mountains being heard throughout the Balambian grassy plains, the local scavenger fauna approached the pile of broken wood, searching for anything salvageable.

At first, the humming and, well... the giant flying blue fish had made the monsters in its path to flee, almost stampede out of its path. Once it stopped moving, the humming had kept them at bay. It took a while for the bravest of them to come out of hiding and curiously approach the large mobile base... Action it immediately regretted as, as soon as it found itself beneath it, it suddenly found itself trampled by a fallen desk...

That kept the monsters away for another while.

As the sun travelled the afternoon skies, desk after desk had fallen from high above and crashed one on top of the other and again and again and again... It had been a while since the last desk fell, so the most curious of beasts decided to approach the big pile of wood. They were at it for a while till they felt and heard another object cutting through the wind, hostage to gravity and heading straight towards them. The monsters scampered outta there, the last one making it out just as a heavy metallic car the colour of drying straw came falling down without warning or any sign that it would stop before... Crashing loudly over and joining the pile of destroyed desks, sending pieces of wood, metal and tires to the four corners of the plains...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Timber was bathed in the darkness of night when a busted up cast iron locomotive made its approach. It moved as silently as possible through the well maintained tracks, stopping by the recently unused Balamb platform without the traditional whistle that usually marked the arrival of a train. The platform watchman was fast asleep and didn't even stir as the train screeched into a halt and from the only carriage, about a dozen or so young man and women stepped out. One with shoulder length blond hair stepped out of the flow of people and approached the engine's window where another blond man with unmade beard looked out to talk.

"We'll start spreading the word." Thorpe said, gaining nods from the older man, "If the evacuees followed protocol, we should make contact with just about everyone in a couple of hours."

Patrick nodded.

"Xu should already be in Dollet." He noted, "We'll cover Timber territory and leave the coast to them. We can go as far as East Academy." he added.

East academy was the last train station in Timber territory, right at the border with the Dollet Dukedom. The station was only a couple of kilometres away from the City of Gakuen, a purely scholastic city where all the most prestigious of universities and private schools were located. It was a good place to hide a bunch of teenagers who could easily blend into the crowd.

"We'll send word to the few teams hiding in Galbadia territory to make their way here." Thorpe added.

Considering it was the galbadians that were chasing and trying to kill them all, not many but a few teams sought refuge in galbadian territory. Not only did they want to spread out as much as possible - large groups would attract more attention - but they also figured it would be the last place they would look. So there were a couple of teams in Winhill and Grott They had stayed clear of Deling, the military harbour town of Gate and the City of June, which was more like a giant research facility for Shinra Corp, the top weapon and technology contractors for the galbadian government and military. They thought it best not to push their luck.

"Even though Connor said Dakar was burned to the ground, Xu might still make a pass, try to see if there were survivors." Patrick let out. "Another part of the fleet will pass by Jams in Galbadia." He added.

The small fleet of attack vessels would have to move slower than usual and would probably take longer than normal to travel the distance. Dollet and Dakar were close to Galbadian waters and Jams was a small village in an equally small island off Winhill coastline. The Galbadia Empire was the strongest military and naval potency on that side of the globe. They had to travel with extra care on their waters.

The galbadian SeeD nodded in agreement.

"Ok, I'm gonna go park this thing somewhere it doesn't catch unwanted eyes." Patrick added, "See to your contacts, I'll get us a train for our way back."

"Yes, sir." Thorpe replied with a covert salute before abandoning the platform, mixing in the dark, sleeping streets where his galbadian and balambian peers had already lost themselves from sight.

The cast iron engine started again, moving from the platform and into the train yard, its conductor hopeful to be able to... _acquire_ a more suitable means of transportation. Stirring into motion and out of sight, the platform was once again left to darkness and silence... Apart from the constant and uninterrupted watchman's snoring...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Sir Seifer, we have arrived at the coordinates." The intercom buzzed inside the cabin the knight and his sorceress had occupied aboard the GENS Jupiter, the sound echoing within the empty walls.

Sorceress Edea stirred, but it was Seifer who rose towards the communicator.

"I'll be right up." he replied before heading for the door, not waiting for an answer.

The halls in the GENS were packed despite the late hour, the soldiers either heading in or out of their corresponding duty shifts. Still, every man would practically jump out of the knight's path less he would incur the blond man's wrath... And his fuse had been growing shorter and his temperament more volatile every passing day.

Seifer entered the bridge like he owned it, disregarding salutes and stepping into the middle of the room where the commanding officer for the entire Galbadian armada stood.

"What do you have for me," He demanded more than asked.

Almirante Bialar Crais twitched ever so slightly. He had been a part of the navy military for the empire all his adult life, and a bit before that as well. He was the youngest ever to command a GENS and was now the highest ranking officer in the entire fleet. It was too much and he had been in the service for far too long to take this level of disrespect from a stuck-up teenager with bleached hair and in serious need of an attitude adjustment. Were it not for his position as the Sorceress' knight, he would have taught this kid some manners...

"We are at the appropriate coordinates." The Almirante informed.

"You told me that already." Seifer cut in with a scoff that didn't fall too well on the older man, "Don't bore me with repetition."

Almirante Crais was this close to pulling his service weapon, but one of the scientists on the bridge cut in the hostility.

"We have detected some strange energy readings from below sea level." He informed catching the knight's attention. "They seem extremely similar to the readings we have picked up near the border of the Estharian continent." he added and the knight's interest turned into a smile.

"That's it." Seifer let out.

"That's what?" Almirante Crais inquired.

He was told to take the armada to these coordinates just off the Estharian border but neither knight nor sorceress had convened what they were doing there or what they were looking for. He wasn't used to be kept in the dark in his own ship's endeavours.

"Prepare a diving squad." Seifer continued, ignoring the senior officer's question, "You're going down there."

The Shinra engineer, though noticing the disregard for the military man's question and his growing anger, directed his attention to the knight. He never liked the military types anyway, and the sorceress was much more intimidating and powerful than the current military forces. He had to play his cards right.

"And what will we be looking for, Sir?" He asked and to him, the knight seemed to give enough of attention to warrant a response.

Seifer's smile widened though his stare lacked any joy or spark... Or anything else...

"You'll be opening... this really... really big... glass box."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Night had fallen over the island of Balamb, the sun no longer visible beyond the western mountains. The town was as peaceful as ever, not betraying or even hinting to the confusion and battles that had marked it on that day. The most obvious difference to any other night out on the town, Schala noticed, was the absence of the tall Balamb Inn, whose height and blue glassed exterior usually cast a soft blue hue all over the town.

Despite the silence and absence of people in the streets, Schala walked around is search of a place where she could be alone to think. This was really happening, a generalised call to arms, all SeeDs pulled together against an extremely powerful foe. If it wasn't enough that she carried the weight of every balambian SeeD and cadet's lives on her shoulders, now she was supposed to lead the galbadians' as well...

So much was happening at once...

Schala eventually reached the harbour, empty of people but with many boats docked, resting on the early night so they'd be nice and fresh by the crack of dawn, ready to set sail and hunt for fish. Schala envied them slightly, their straightforward and simple job as she stood by the edge, feeling the salty breeze in her face.

She sat there for a while, her eyes following the smooth movement of the waves till their soft flowing sound was joined by steady though slow moving footsteps. Schala didn't need to turn to know whom they belonged to, seeing as he was the only one to ever come to her whenever she was out by herself thinking about something. The one who always came to her when she wanted to be alone... It was becoming less than a bother and more comforting at each time... Rian approached as silently as he could and without a word, sat next to her on the limit rails, salty droplets falling on his shoes. After a moment of silence, he broke it.

"So it's war." He wondered out loud.

Schala replied with a soft nod, neither one of them taking their eyes from the dark blue horizon. Silence stretched as neither approached the subject running through both their minds...

"Rian..." Schala started but paused for long enough to let him say a word.

"Schala..." Rian let out as a reply and paused as well, only this time he wouldn't let her interrupt.

"You know, it's been a crazy ride..." He continued, both teenagers looking forward. "And I've been there with you every step of the way... Whether you wanted me there or not..." He felt the need to add with a smile.

After one more moment, she felt him turn to her, waiting for her and only a bit later did she tear her eyes from the horizon to look back at him. Stormy blue locked on chocolate brown.

"I'd like to see this through," he continued, his eyes not asking or even begging, only determined, "be there with you at the end..." he paused for another moment, "If you'll let me."

Schala knew what he was going to ask, what he was asking. To be with her, go with her into the lioness' den. It was going to be dangerous, far too dangerous for him... A civilian dragged into the middle of a war... All she wanted, and what she was planning till that very moment, was to keep him away from all the fighting and the danger... But for some reason, either because she had shoved him away so many times already or because he was still her client... Or for another completely different reason, this time she just couldn't...

"Alright..." She let out and it was almost comical to see his stare, as if he truly expected her to shun him again instead of being accepted.

She paused for a while as he reeled it in, unimaginably happy not only for being there, but for her apparently wanting him by her side. He was so entranced in the unexpected development, he almost missed her next words...

"But if you die on me, you're the one telling your mother..." She said in her usual serious tone, that it took Rian a while to actually register them...

He stared as they slowly sunk in... Then his eyes widened and his mouth opened in astonishment and amusement.

"Oh My Hyne!" He let out loudly, "I've witnessed one of the rarest sights..." he paused for effect, "A Schala joke!"

She couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Everything is possible now!" He continued in joshing, "That sorceress is toast!" and he let out a heartfelt laugh before focusing back at her and...

"Was that a smile?" He wondered, stunned as he saw the raised corners of her red lips.

"..."

In her surprise at being caught in the act, which she didn't even realise she was doing, Schala put on the mask again, though... It wasn't as securely held as before...

"That's a smile!" Rian let out as she didn't cover it as well as she once would, "Wow, I'm 2 for 2 today. I'm on a roll!"

The corners of her mouth rose again, but he didn't push it further. He knew he had to take it slow, one foot in front of the other. And today had been a big win. They sat there side by side, her eyes back on the horizon and his eyes on her.

"We should be getting back..." Schala broke the silence after a long moment and, as it always happened between them, Rian felt the good moments went by so fast.

"Ok." He replied and got down quickly as to offer her a hand...

Which she didn't reject...

They walked in silence back towards the Dintch's home and once they climbed the ramp up to the main plaza, they were surprised to see everyone, and a few more, in a circle outside. Schala approached and was immediately noticed by Sorphan.

"Hey! There you are!" He cheered, "Good news!"

Schala raised an eyebrow in question.

"I just heard back from Sue." Mark, who was among them, said to her increasing interest, "She says that the Shinra geek has finally got the gravity lift up and running. She has even tested it herself, it's in perfect working order."

Schala's eyes widened in both satisfaction and surprise. A working lift for when they were mobile was a great advantage for inland deployment and resupplies.

"These are indeed great news." Headmaster Cid commented, equally pleased that the risk they took with the galbadian engineer had paid off, "Now all we need to do is wait for the SeeDs to return and we can be on our way." he added and everyone, well Sorphan, cheered.

Everybody was pleased, though not so enthused as Sorphan who really just wanted to try that lift thing, headmaster Cid had to wait a bit to add...

"Any idea where that may be?" He asked and if at that instant everyone looked at him, in the immediate next they were all looking at Schala.

Some more intensely than others... Sorphan really wanted to make a suggestion for the next destination. It was relatively close though in the opposite direction Connor mentioned he overheard the "captain" and "commander" say they were _rendezvousing_ with the armada, which was way down in Southern Centra. But with everything that happened, he really wanted to get there, just to know what happened... Just to know if anyone was still alive. But when the SeeD Commander nodded, indicating she had a destination in mind, Sorphan could only wait expectantly for her decision and hope he could go there later. Schala, however, wasn't blind to the tall brunet's distress and if she had the full strength of Balamb Garden and Galbadia Garden behind her... There was still one left...

"Once everyone's back, we're heading out... to Trabia Garden..." And the last thing she saw before being rammed into the ground, was an olive green tall brunet blur...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_AN: Hi and thanks for reading and staying with me despite the LONG time between chapters. I appreciate and am truly thankful for your constant loyalty and patience._

_Moving on and before I start with the typical post-chapter mindless babble, allow me just a little bit of whoring (of the best-non-sexual-possible type). I mention on occasion that I draw and I have a few drawings for this fic. They are mostly character drawings since I haven't gotten around to making many of the story scenes I'm planning on doing. If my written descriptions are not clear enough on my characters' looks or just if you're curious, check me out ;P, I'm on Deviantart under the penname "Irisa007" (give me a break, Irisa was taken). The characters are on the respective folder but feel absolutely free to wander around. I also have several, and even more, scenes from my friend, Celestial Rage's fanfic, Unexpected Destiny, though most of them are old and, well, I've gotten a little better since then... only a little... Anyway, check it out if you will, I've placed the link in my profile or just search me there :). I always welcome comments... if you are so inclined... _

_Ok, enough with the whoring, returning to the mindless babble... on the fic this time..._

_Hey, hope you liked it! I know it took me a ridiculous long time but hey, the chapter ended up ridiculously long as well, so it levels out… sorta… What can I say, Connor had a lot to say… And I hope I didn't get too much into and bored you half to death with the semi-technical babble… I just wanted to let it show I actually placed a bit of thought into the lift thing and the train thing…These are just some of the things that pop into my head when I'm writing and which are not the only but partially responsible for the chapters running away from me… _

_Anyways…_

_Thank you for reading and coming back for more (hopefully), Reviews are appreciated though not mandatory and, well… stay tuned XD_

_Next, On Twisted Fantasy: Balamb and Galbadian SeeDs and SeeD cadets join together within Balamb Garden's mobile form and head into Trabia in search of the last SeeD potency to join their ranks… Will there be anyone left alive to join in the fight for the future? Hang around and find out ;P_

_Love ya all, Read ya later_

_Revir *******_

_Onto the __"reply to anonymous reviews"__ section:_

_First one going to __**jdukes14**_

"_Heya, honey!_

_You always get AN nods... as long as you keep reviewing, that is ;)_

_I really do like making the battle scenes. I like to play them around in my head, it makes it easier to imagine them and writing them down. And, since I first entertained making them using GFs, I always imagined them to be rather epic and, you now... flashy ;P. Nothing's more flashy than Pandemona,, one who seems taken directly from Esthar, and blowing up the Inn was just the icing in the cake :P._

_And Lol. Yeah, there's always room for the annoyingly physically challengingly guy. Lol... honestly, when I started thinking about this love triangle I figured some would take Seifer's side over Rian but it's been somewhat of a landslide...Anyway, I suppose you just have to wait and read XD_

_Though I don't really need the incentive to keep writing, I wouldn't mind having encouraging visitors ;P. Give me a holler if you're ever in the neighbourhood XD_

_Thanks for the support, I'll "read" ya next chapter, kk? XD_

_Revir ** **"_

_Now, to __**elufuir**_

"_Hello, honey_

_Well, thanks for the review and I'm really, really happy you liked it so far :). Well... I don't know about soon... but, by the time you read this reply you already read the chapter, so there's no point saying it'll take a while __**now**__ since you already know how long it took... Anyway..._

_I always liked to believe that they weren't really new characters but just the old characters more explored...and, of course, girls when they were boys and boys when they were girls. Truth is, gender swapping does affect personality somewhat, though some more than others, I suppose these are kinda my OCs and I'm really happy they didn't turn out Mary-Sues. To tell you the truth, I wasn't familiar with the term before I started writing this fic and I even, at some point, did the Mary-Sue test for Schala and it roughly said I give her no slack whatsoever... Lol, I suppose that's true :). A lot of people are rooting for Seifer, more than I thought would, actually... Lots of people into "Bad-boys", I guess... There was a time there were S&S flags, even, and I was gonna make t-shirts. Alas, who knows if they're getting together in the end anyways... apart from the obvious, of course ;P_

_As for your rather elaborate and extended hypothesis..._

_... I'm sorry, I cannot confirm or deny any of it. I made a point of not giving spoilers (With a sole exception) to my readers/reviewers as for not to ruin the story and the surprises it hides (Though the exception in question doesn't really care I spoil her rotten and seems to like and be surprised all the same with each chapter...). Still, Me no give spoilers. You'll just have to wait to "read" and I hope you won't be disappointed by what you'll find._

_Long story short, ;P, don't die on me yet. True enough, the answer to your first issue will come out in a few chapters... unless they run away from me, as they have the bad (and good) habit of doing lately, and I'm forced to break them where I wouldn't usually... Anyway..._

_Thank you so much for your review! It made me really, really happy! I love, in addition to normal reviews, to know what's on my beloved readers' minds in relation to events to come. And sometimes they get it right, and sometimes they get it wrong, and sometimes they even give me ideas XD._

_Thanks again, take care and..._

_Read ya later_

_Revir *******************************"_


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